


Kitty Love

by Addinavi



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Bottom Eren Yeager, Cat Ears, Cat Love, Cat/Human Hybrids, Eren Is a Little Shit, Ereri Week, Eventual Levi/Eren Yeager, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Kittens, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Minor Violence, Miscarriage, Mpreg, Pregnant Eren, Riren Week, Rivere - Freeform, Size Difference, Size Kink, Underage - Freeform, Violence, War, but I love him, ereri, kitty eren, levi x eren - Freeform, litter kink, neko, neko!Eren, riren - Freeform, rivaere - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2018-05-12 01:23:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 33
Words: 138,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5648629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Addinavi/pseuds/Addinavi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after the fall of Wall Maria, a new problem has risen. Tension between the two remaining walls was inevitable, but now it was an all out war between walls Rose and Sina. Commander Erwin, one of the leading commanders on the side of wall Rose, has humanity's strongest, Levi Ackerman, as his right hand man. But when Captain Levi goes on a scouting mission and finds a young neko boy named Eren in the destruction caused by the war, his life will undoubtedly change forever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Find

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking out my fic, and I really hope you like it! I've been wanting to write this for a while so I've decided that I might as well start at the beginning of a new year. Please leave kudos and comments, feedback means so much to me. I'm also gifting this work to a dear friend, Bumblefree, as a thank you for proofreading this story for me :)

Levi was never a man of many words, always one of action. To him, words never seemed to get anything done. It only mattered what you did in life, what actions you took to protect yourself and those around you.

So that’s why, when the war between the walls began in the year 850, five years after wall Maria had been breeched, Levi took his rightful place as being one of the main captains involved in planning attacks and defenses. Wall Sina and Wall Rose, once sisters, were now against each other in a battle of power. The titans were once the greatest danger to humanity, but Levi had now realized that humanity was its own greatest enemy.

“Oi, Levi.” Levi was pulled from his thoughts as a voice called him. It was his commander. He was a stoic, blonde haired, blue eyed man. Erwin, unlike him, was a man of many words. Almost all of humanity looked up to Erwin Smith. Hell, probably even the traitors inside wall Sina looked up to him. Or..he supposed Wall Rose was really the traitor in this case.

“What, Erwin?” Levi asked, slightly agitated for no apparent reason.

“There’s been a rebellion of our own and they commenced an unauthorized attack on Sina,” Erwin explained. “I need you to go and assess the damage, including search for survivors.” 

“Oi, what do I have to search for survivors for? They’re our enemy,” Levi pointed out.

 “Levi, you know we didn’t start this war to kill. This war began for our freedom, to help our people, not kill them. I need to know what we’re going to expect back from Sina, if the massacre is really as bad as I heard…” Erwin explained. “Please, Levi, I can’t do it myself; I have a meeting.”

“You and your meetings. Seems like you're never even really out on the field,” Levi pointed out.   “Levi,” Erwin growled. “I’m still your superior. Don’t argue with me about this. I have more important political matters to take care of.”

“Fine.” Levi knew Erwin was right, but he couldn’t help being so grumpy. The man had insomnia and frankly, he was usually quite grumpy even when he did manage to sleep. He didn’t sign up to be Erwin’s servant and take care of all the work no one else wanted, but he didn’t seem to have a choice here. Levi picked up his cape he’d hung on the hook in his room, swinging it over his shoulders and putting up the hood. “You owe me.”

“Fine, I’ll have someone bring you tea straight away when you get back,” said Erwin. After all, it was freezing out, and this was the best he could offer at the moment.   “Better be one damn good cup of tea,” Levi murmured under his breath as he stormed out of his room, trusting Erwin to lock it behind him. 

Outside, Levi already wished he had that cup of tea. It was freezing outside and a cold rain had begun to fall. Honestly, he felt more guilty about his horse being in this weather than anything else. He mounted her after patting her nose and mane a bit, just sort of as an apology. He clicked his tongue, taking the reins and tugging on them slightly, digging his foot gently into the horse’s side to get her going at a fast paced trot. It was about a half hour ride to the outskirts of Sina, but he wasn’t sure how much of the damage he would be able to assess, depending on if the military police, who were on the side of Sina, were there yet. Hopefully the rain had slowed them down so Levi could at least get enough information to report back to Erwin.    Like wall Maria, both walls Rose and Sina had outlier districts, in a way. They didn’t serve the same purpose as Wall Maria’s outlier districts since they weren’t used to distract the titans, but they would serve that purpose if any of the walls were breeched again. Each wall was more prepared than ever for the event that the wall before it falls. Though Wall Maria had been knocked down, soldiers still ventured out for supplies and land for the war since some of the outlier districts on the South end of Rose now had to be used. The uprising had taken place in a small district of Sina, one of the most poor ones where most of the refugees had fled to, called Regana.

Levi couldn’t quite make out why this district, of all the districts, was the one to be attacked. Most of the refugees had nothing to even do with the war, or were fighting on Rose’s side. They were tired of the government oppressing them in their time of hurt and need. Regana had never done anything to show they were on the side of Rose or Sina, so why had they been attacked? Was it because they were closest? Because they didn’t have many weapons?

Levi wasn’t sure, but he would find out soon enough. Not even after fifteen minutes of riding, Levi could see and smell smoke in the air. This rebellion may have been worse than he suspected. Why would anyone plan an attack without Erwin’s authorization? Didn't these idiots know they’d just make things worse?    Levi clicked his tongue again, snapping the reins to increase his horse to a running speed. The smoke got thicker and he covered his mouth with his cravat to try and filter some of the filthy air he was forced to breathe in, and his eyes widened when he finally got close enough to Regana to see the damage that had been done. The village was in ruins.    The buildings were collapsed and the stone pavements cracked and broken. The remains of gleaming red flames were slowly dying in the cold rain, and bodies lined the streets. Nobody was there. Nobody had come to help, and everyone had fled. What kind of cowardly world was this?

There were no signs of survivors, and if there had been any, they all fled. There was no sign of the group that had attacked the village, but they’d obviously stolen guns and canons, maybe even some other explosives that were completely illegal inside the walls. This wasn’t right. Something was fishy here. A single group of rebels from wall Rose couldn’t have done this single handedly.   Levi dismounted his horse, stroking her nose once again before tying her to the remains of a wooden fence to keep her from wandering off. He strode forward, looking around with his narrow eyes. The silence mixed with the crackling of burning wood was deafening. He kicked away pieces of destroyed homes, absentmindedly “searching” for survivors, but he was doubtful there would be any. His face stayed the same, looking rather bored and uninterested with his beady, tired eyes as he kicked a few chunks of concrete. But he heard something that made his stoic face falter slightly. At first he thought he’d imagined it, but he heard it again. Tiny meows, sounding like those of a kitten, echoed through the wreckage of the collapsed building, and Levi sighed. It was a shame innocent animals had to be tortured like this, all because of the greed of humanity. He put his chilled hands in his pockets, then continued walking. But he couldn’t ignore it when the cries got louder. He stopped walking, letting out a sigh. Was it really worth it to get all dirty and wet for the sake of a damn cat? No, it probably wasn’t. And even if he could miraculously manage to get the damn thing out of the wreckage, what would it repay him with? A few scratches, then run away? That wasn’t worth it to him. 

But even Levi, as heartless as he seemed, couldn’t help feeling pity for the thing. It was probably scared and alone, cold and wet, and its owners had probably died. He grumbled inaudible curses to himself as he trudged back over to the wreckage, listening carefully to try and get as close to the meows as possible before he began to pull away pieces of wood and stone, hands already blistered and bloody after only moving a few pieces. “…Damn cat,” He growled as he continued moving the splintered wood. He really should’ve brought gloves. He would probably get a damn infection and die before he could get the cat out, then they’d both be dead. He could only think of the newspaper headlines now: ‘Levi Ackerman, 34, beloved captain is struck by death while trying to save rabid cat.’ He should be using this time to try and save actual people, but he couldn't help it. Maybe he was just stupid, or brain damaged or something, but he wanted to help this cat. 

He lifted away a rather heavy chunk of a wooden beam with a grunt, tossing it aside when he saw a little tail peeking out of the small opening he’d made. “There you are..” He mumbled. Maybe he could pull it out by its tail. He grabbed the brown and white tail, giving it a tug but he heard a screeching cry and he immediately let go, eyes widening. “O-oi, wait a minute..” He mumbled, leaning down and trying to peer into the hole. He wasn’t met with a cat like he had been expecting, but a pair of bright green eyes peering back at him. This wasn't just a cat, it was a..”You’re a neko..” Levi mumbled, scratching his head. He didn’t even know there were any in these parts. They were quite rare, seen only as house pets and sex toys for the rich, like the king of Sina, or in the underground as strays or trapped in breeding factories, but those ones were usually more cat than human, used for mostly sex or to be killed and eaten. That’s how desperate some were for food in the underground. Levi could remember it all too well, and he could remember the experiences he had with nekos. He wasn’t proud of the things he’d done.

The thing backed away further from the small opening Levi had made, meowing loudly and desperately. “Come back here..” Levi said. “Can’t you see I’m trying to help? Don’t you speak english?” But as soon as he said it, he thought to himself that the kitten might not be able to speak at all. Many didn’t teach their nekos how to talk, or it might even be too young to talk. Or maybe it was just stupid.

“You’re just making it harder for me to help you..” Levi murmured, moving away more rocks and wood chunks until the hole was just barely big enough for him to fit into. “Are you really going to make me come in and get you?”

The little thing meowed in response, its voice high pitched, but fairly quiet. Levi sighed, scratching the back of his head before taking off his cape and tucking it under his arm, sliding down into the small hole. It was cramped and dusty, and he had to squat down into a tight ball to avoid all of the sharp pieces of wood, metal, and stone. The ground below them was dirt, and Levi could see the kitten more clearly now. He had been irritated with the thing before, but his face softened significantly. The little guy was hunched over on the ground, curled in a ball, face peeking slightly out of its knees. He had a mop of messy, chocolate hair, bright teal eyes in a shade Levi had never even seen before, tan skin, and brown ears sticking out of his hair with white splotches on them, just like his tail. He was much smaller than Levi thought he would be.    “Oi..It’s alright..” Levi murmured softly, reaching out a hand, but the kitten meowed and whimpered, trying to scoot away in the dirt, but he didn’t have any room to escape. “I’m..I’m Captain Levi, I’m a good guy,” he assured the kitten before he could stop himself. What was he doing? It probably couldn't even understand him. The kitten let out a cry similar to that of a toddler’s, and Levi frowned. These things were even more humanlike than he remembered. “You cold, kid? Look, I’ve got this, it’s warm,” Levi said, holding up the cape and shaking off some of the dust. The kitten was dirty and wet, and Levi frowned at the thought of having something so dirty in his clothing, but he wasn’t sure how else to get the kitten to come toward him without having to wrestle him, which Levi wasn’t very keen on doing. Besides, the poor boy was shivering his ass off. “It’s a real, genuine survey corps cape,” Levi spoke. “It..it was probably pretty expensive..but I’m not sure what Erwin’s budget is for the uniforms, so…” He murmured, getting sidetracked. “Er..but..you can wear it, if you’d like..”

Since when did Levi get good at talking to children? The little neko stopped its cries and sniffed, bringing its tiny hands up around his nose and mouth and letting out little whines of curiosity. He slowly sat up, and he seemed to be having a bit of trouble. Levi figured he was probably hurt, and he frowned. The kitten sat with criss-crossed legs in front of him, hands still up around his mouth, a few of his fingers between his lips as he sucked on them. “Those aren't food, do you know how dirty those are?” Levi asked and the kitten cocked its head before giggling slightly, and Levi’s eyes widened, taken aback. “Come on…I don’t bite.” He said as he beckoned the kitten forward. It hesitantly raised itself onto its hands and knees, crawling forward a few inches before stopping and sitting back down on its bottom, letting out little whines, obviously frustrated by something. “You want me to come pick you up?” Levi asked and the kitten cocked its head to the other side now as though it was thinking.    “Ah!” It let out a little shout and reached its arms out, making Levi jump back slightly, hitting his head on a wooden beam.

“God damn-fucking-“ Levi gritted out, holding his head and looking at the kitten. “So you do understand me, you little shit..” Levi crawled forward and when the kitten didn't move away, he wrapped his cape around the little boy, pulling the hood up over his head and he lifted him into his arms. “Alright, up we go,” He said as he slowly stood up, sore knees cracking and he held the kitten with one arm tightly as the other arm helped to pull them out of the debris. He took a deep breath once they were out, running a hand through his messy hair, but the kitten started crying again, letting out little screams in between. “What’s the matter now?” Levi asked irritatedly, but the hood had fallen off the kitten and the raindrops were hitting his cheeks and head, and he frantically was rubbing at his face and shaking his head. “Hey, hey, it’s just rain, kid, you’re not gonna die,” Levi spoke, pulling up the hood again so it covered the little neko from the rain. “Hm. You really are like a cat, huh? Not a fan of the rain?”

“Mh..” The kitten shook his head and Levi couldn’t help rubbing his back. The boy was so tiny and helpless. He had no clue how he survived this mess, and he began to examine the kitten closely for injuries. He pulled back the hood a tad and the top of the kitten’s left ear was a bit torn up, and his face had quite a few scratches and purple marks. His hands were torn up the worst, probably from attempting to claw his way out, Levi guessed, and he also guessed that was the reason the boy kept trying to suck on his fingers, to soothe them. Levi gently pulled the boy’s tiny hands away from his mouth and reached in his pocket, taking out a roll of bandages. He wrapped up one of the boy’s hands, ripped the bandage and tucked it in nice and tight so it would stay put, then wrapped the other hand hastily. “We’ll get you bandaged up properly when we get home,” Levi spoke. Wait, home? Was he really planning on taking this strange kitten back to the barracks with him? No..He couldn’t..but..where else would he go? To the underground, to one of those breeding factories, or one of those rich snobs who’d use him as a show pet? No..Levi couldn’t do that to the kid..He’d keep him, at least until he could find him a proper home. That was the right thing to do, right?

“You want to come home with me? I’ll fix you up and get you something to eat, get you out of these rags..” Said Levi, tugging at the boy’s torn shirt, and the kitten gently slapped at Levi’s hands, frowning.

“Muh..” The kitten whined softly, brows furrowing, tears in his eyes. “Muma..”

“Your mama?” Levi asked quietly, face falling. “Oh..She..do you know where she is?” Levi murmured, and the boy pointed back at the wreckage of his home that Levi now realized must have been some crappy little shack.. “Hm..” Levi wasn’t sure what to say. He couldn't just straight out tell a little boy who could barely speak that his mother was dead. He knew she was dead, there was no doubt about it. It was a miracle that even the kitten had survived, especially without any major injuries.

“Muma hose,” the kitten spoke, bouncing slightly and frantically pointing at the wreckage.

“Kid, I don’t, uh.. think your mom is in there..” Levi lied. He hoped for the kid’s sake, she wasn’t in there. Maybe she’d escaped…No, probably not. She probably wouldn’t leave her baby behind, unless she was some asshole. “We’ll..I’ll help you look for her later, but right now we need to get you warm and dry,” Levi said, hoping the boy understood. The kitten didn’t say anything, but he leaned in so his head was against Levi’s chest. Levi froze slightly, but his hand came up to cup the back of the boy’s head. “Alright..it’s alright..” He said as soothingly as possible as he stood up, wrapping his cape tighter around the kitten and holding the tiny thing firmly against his chest. He held the kitten in one arm easily as he mounted his horse, swinging his leg over and making sure the boy was secure against him when the kitten tried to pull away to look at the horse.

“House,” the boy spoke, pointing at the horse.

“You’re close, kid. Horse,” Levi corrected.

“House,” the boy repeated enthusiastically, and Levi just chuckled lightly. He dug his heel into the horse’s side, taking the reins as she began trotting toward home and the kitten yelped, hands balling into fists in Levi’s shirt, letting out a few cries.

“Shit, don’t cry..” Levi murmured, pulling the hood up further just to make sure the rain wouldn't touch the kitten, though he himself was soaked now. “It’s a horse, its supposed to move,” Levi assured the scared kitten.

“Nah-mha!” The kitten shouted.

“Those aren’t even words,” Levi murmured, cupping the back of the kitten’s head and massaging it gently, and the boy tucked his face into Levi’s chest and babbled things that again, weren’t words. Levi had forgotten how weird kids were.

After a few minutes of riding and listening to the boy babble, he decided it was time to see how much the boy could actually talk. “So, how old are you?” He asked.

“Mh..apple..” The boy replied, peeking up at Levi and cocking his head.

“I was more looking for a number, not a fruit,” Levi sighed, his hand unconsciously snaking beneath the hood of his cape to stroke the boy’s messy hair and run his fingers through it. “You have no clue what I’m asking you, do you?”

“m’aya-“ The boy said, nodding, and Levi rolled his eyes.

Halfway home, the kitten began trying to stand up in Levi’s lap to look around the city. Levi kept tugging him back down so he wouldn’t fall, ignoring the stares of citizens who were most likely confused to see Captain Levi, of all people, riding through town with a fussy neko in his lap. “Come on, kid, stop moving..” Levi murmured to the squirming bundle, tickling under the neko’s arms before he could stop himself and the kitten squealed, plopping back down in Levi’s lap and curling up so his face was in Levi’s stomach.

“Bebe!” the boy yelled, pressing his hands into Levi’s firm abs.

“Did you just ask if there was a baby in me? No, I'm not pregnant,” Levi scoffed, arm still resting around the kitten. “Kid, do you know how much training I do every day for those muscles? You’re really trying to push down my confidence, aren't you?” He asked the kitten, and the boy just whined and giggled in response, still squirming in Levi’s lap. “Can you hold still for like, five minutes? We’re almost there..” He murmured, but the kitten made no move to listen to the older and he sighed, just holding onto him tighter until finally they reached the stables. He dismounted his horse and gently led her into the stable, setting the kitten down in a pile of hay as he removed her saddle, having to stop every few seconds to pull the boy back toward him when he tried to crawl away. He finally finished, the task having taken twice as long as it normally would've due to the boy trying to crawl away every five seconds or putting hay in his mouth. “Do I have to put a leash and a muzzle on you?” Levi asked as he lifted the boy back into his arms and the kitten whined, throwing his head forward to smack his forehead into Levi’s chin.

“Ah-shit, kid, I was just joking,” Levi growled, rubbing his chin that would surely have a bruise the next morning, then holding the kitten tighter as he brought him inside. Levi sighed at the warmth of the air as he entered the barracks, finally pulling down the hood of the cape so he could see the kitten’s face better. The neko peered around the halls as Levi walked down them quickly, and he would snap at any soldier to get moving if they stared at them. He knew the news that he had a neko in the barracks would get around quick, so hopefully he could find this little guy a proper home just as fast.

He finally neared his room, unlocking the door and entering. He took a breath of relief, leaning against the wall for a moment before walking around to light the various lamps in the room to give the room more light, which was extremely hard trying to use only one hand. But finally, he managed, plopping down on the edge of the bed with the kitten. The boy scooted out of Levi’s lap, beginning to crawl around on his bed. “Oi-oi, stop that, you’re all dirty, that’s where I sleep,” Levi said quickly, picking the kitten up under his arms and the boy squealed, kicking his legs. Levi growled exasperatedly. “Come on, lets get you cleaned up.” He took the boy to the bathroom, setting him down on the floor and removing the cape, then pulling off the ragged shirt the boy was wearing. Underneath the shirt, the boy was actually quite skinny. Maybe he was from the underground..But how would he be lucky enough to get above ground? It didn’t make sense. Maybe he was just a fussy eater.

“Brr!” The neko wrapped his arms around himself. “Brr!” He repeated.

“Brr..cold..yeah,” Levi murmured, ruffling the kitten’s hair before standing up, grabbing a washcloth and then turning on the warm water. He rubbed some soap on the cloth and then kneeled down again, beginning to wipe the boy clean.

“No! No wawa!” The boy yelled, trying to pull away. 

“Yes, yes wawa,” Levi growled. “I mean-water..” He corrected himself. “You need to get cleaned up. You're lucky I’m too tired to give you a bath,” he said to the kitten, raising an eyebrow when the boy crossed his arms, pouting.

“You bath!” The kitten snapped.

“Yes, I would love a bath, baths get you all nice and clean..” Levi murmured. The kitten stood up, wobbly, but he placed his hands on Levis shoulders and leaned in, beginning to lick Levi’s cheek. Levi almost gasped at the scratchy tongue on his cheek, more cat than human and he pulled away, eyes wide as he gently slapped a hand over the kitten’s mouth. “Hey, hey, w-what do you think you're doing?” Levi stammered. The kitten was silent before licking Levi’s hand. Levi scoffed disgustedly, pulling his hand away and wiping it on his pants.

“Bath, bath,” the kitten said, like it was obvious, plopping back down onto the floor.

“Not…that kind of bath..” Levi furrowed his brows, scratching his head. He’d sort of forgotten that cats licked themselves clean…a lot of nekos must do that as well. “If you’re going to stay here, licking wont suffice as a bath, you gotta stay clean. You know how to use the toilet?” Levi asked hopefully.

“Mhm!” The boy pointed at the porcelain toilet bowl, and Levi sighed with relief.

“Thank Maria..” He picked up the rag again, continuing to wipe the boy down until he was satisfied. He then stood up and rummaged through his drawers for a brush he never used, wetted it, and sat down to begin brushing out the boy’s knotted and dirty hair to try and clean it and neaten it up a bit. By the end, it wasn't as neat as it was clean. “Your hair is difficult, just like you, isn't it?” Levi asked, grabbing a towel and placing it on the kitten’s head to tousle his hair dry.

“Bah-muma,” The kitten replied, peeking out of the towel.

“No. Levi,” the Captain replied, pointing to himself.

“Veve,” The boy replied.

“Le-vi,” Levi repeated slower.

“Levy!”

“At least you got the ‘L,’ kid..” Levi sighed. “Its an ‘i’ sound at the end, not an ‘e,’” Levi corrected.

“Levy,” The kitten repeated, hiding his face in the towel again.

“We…we’ll work on it,” Levi sighed, but he couldn't help the corner of his mouth tugging up into a slight smile. “Come on, lets get you cleaned up now.” He stood up, lifting the naked boy wrapped in a fluffy white towel up into his arms, then setting him on the bed. “Be right back..” He murmured, and he went in and out of the bathroom in less than a few seconds, returning with a medical kit in his hands. He sat down on the bed again, placing the kitten between his legs. He took the bandages off the boy’s hands and set them on the nightstand, then opened the kit to take out some hydrogen peroxide and cotton balls. He opened the bottle and coated the cotton balls in the strong liquid, then took the boy’s hand and turned it over. “It’s gonna sting a little, okay?”

The boy cocked his head and Levi quickly began to rub at the kitten’s scratched up hands with the cotton ball and the boy screeched, trying to tug his little hand away. “I know, I know, just hold on,” Levi said, finishing wiping the first hand, then moving to the second one.

“No-no no! No!” The kitten cried, meowing as tears drippeed down his rosy cheeks.

“Look, look, we’re done, see?” Levi assured the boy, taking a cold cloth and wiping off his hands to ease the sting before grabbing bandages to quickly begin wrapping the tiny hands, but not too tight. “There, won’t that be much better?” Levi asked, his hand reaching out to cup the boy’s cheek. “You were so brave.”

The boy wiped his nose with the back of his bandaged hands and nodded slowly.

“I’m going to clean up the other scratches you have..” said Levi. Luckily, none of them would probably be as painful as his hands, except for maybe the boy’s neko ear that had been significantly torn up and was missing a chunk. It looked like it had gotten stuck between something, maybe debris, and the boy had to pull it out, but lost a piece of his ear in the process. Levi frowned at the thought. He cleaned up all the little scratches easily without a complaint from the kitten and when he came to his ear, he held gauze under it gently as he counted to three, then poured a bit of the hydrogen peroxide on it. The kitten whined, hands covering his face and tiny tail twitching, but he didn’t pull away or cry out, and Levi breathed a sigh of relief. “There, now you'll heal up all nice and new..” He said tiredly. “I’ll..get you something to wear.” He stood up, running a hand through the neko’s hair and shuffling over to his dresser, opening a drawer and pulling out a long sleeved, white t-shirt for the kid, and then a pair of pajama pants and a white, short sleeved t-shirt for himself.

“Alright..Here we go..arms up..” Levi murmured, taking the towel off the kitten. The boy raised his arms obediently, and Levi slipped the shirt on him. It went all the way down to the boy’s knees, and the kitten waved his hands, the long sleeves flapping around. It was..cute.

“Birdie,” the kitten babbled and Levi chuckled, rolling up the sleeves so the boy could have his bandaged hands free of the fabric. He then turned the kitten around, turned around himself, and began to undress. He changed into his sleep clothes, and when he turned back around to face the kitten, he caught the boy staring at him. The kitten quickly turned around again to pretend he wasn’t looking, covering his eyes.

“Peeping Tom..” Levi murmured, a slight chuckle in his voice as he picked the kitten up, grabbing some extra blankets and setting them at the foot of the bed so the kitten could curl up in them like a little nest. The boy yawned and snuggled into it, bright jade eyes sleepy, pupils wide.

“G’night, kid..” Levi murmured. “Or do you have something else you’d rather I call you?” He asked curiously as he laid down.

“Ern..” The kitten murmured sleepily.

“Ernie?” Levi murmured, closing his eyes.

“Nh! Eren!” The kitten exclaimed a bit louder.

“Eren…so that’s your name..” Levi murmured to himself more than to the kitten. It fit the boy well. “Goodnight, Eren.”

“Nini, Levy..” Was the quiet reply he got from the little kitten he now knew was called Eren. Levi pulled the blankets over himself as he slowly drifted off, not even caring that he had forgotten to take a bath, or that Erwin had never sent someone to bring him his damn tea..


	2. The Scientist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg thank you guys so much for how positive you've been about this fic!! Within the first 24 hours, I had 400 reads, 70 kudos, and 11 comments. You guys are so amazing, I love you all so much. I hope this chapter isn't too boring for you guys, but I tried to put in a lot of fluffy kitty moments...Like always. Comments and are kudos appreciated!!

In the middle of the night, Levi found himself awoken by something on his chest. His eyes fluttered open and he looked down, vision fuzzy from sleep. He was surprised at first when he saw the little neko boy curled up against his chest, face buried in Levi's cotton shirt, tail twitching gently, and soft puffs of breath escaping the kitten's tiny mouth. After a moment he then figured that the boy was probably missing his mother, or maybe thought Levi was his mother? He wasn't sure..

"Mh..H-hey..get back to your side of the bed.." Levi finally grumbled softly. He picked the sleeping kitten up off his chest, setting him back down in the little nest of blankets where the kitten was  _supposed_ to be sleeping. Eren opened his eyes, rubbing them and letting out a soft whine. He sat up, cocking his head and frowning. Why wouldn't Levi let him sleep with him?

"Levy," Eren whined, crawling toward him again.

"No, you stay over there," Levi said firmly, picking the kitten up under his arms and setting him back in the blankets, but Eren just crawled toward him again, crawling into his lap.

"Oi, what did I just say?" Levi asked irritatedly, sighing and trying to pry the kitten off him. Did this kid's ears even work? "Eren, don't-"

Eren leaned up, licking Levi's cheek. 

"W-why do you keep doing that?" Levi mumbled, still trying to gently tear Eren off him.

"Bath," Eren said firmly. "You bath!"

"No, I don't need a-" Levi cut off with a sigh when Eren continued licking Levi's cheek, the older wincing at the scratchy feeling. Levi finally just plopped onto his back in defeat, sighing as the kitten stayed on his chest, licking him. "What have I gotten myself into..."

"Bed," the little kitten replied, giggling.

"Smartass..." Levi murmured, but he couldn't help smirking a bit. "You can sleep with me, but no more licking," he said firmly. Eren immediately stopped, moving down to curl up on Levi's chest once again. Levi sighed, pulling the blanket up over both his and the kitten's bodies, and Eren yawned, a content little smile on his pink lips. Levi was a lot more comfortable than he looked, and warm, too. Eren began purring softly, his tiny ears and tail twitching slightly as he closed his eyes to go back to sleep.

"Purring..." Levi murmured, raising an eyebrow. "That's...New." He'd never heard a neko purr before, but then again, cats usually purred when they were happy, and in the underground...no one ever seemed to be happy. The purring was calming, to say the least. It was so soft and content, breaking the silence of Levi's dark and dreary room, and the warm little body on his chest was very comfortable. He just couldn't understand why Eren was so attached to him, though. Was it because Levi had saved him, and the kid had no one else? That would make sense...But Levi felt bad, allowing the kitten to get attached to him, when he knew eventually he would have to give Eren up to a different home since he didn't want the thing. Or at least, that's what Levi was telling himself, anyway...

Levi gently scratched behind the kitten's ears until he was sure the boy had fallen asleep, then Levi let sleep take his own body once more.

Levi's sleep, for once, was dreamless. Usually he had nightmares about past experiences, or future ones to come. He often just thought about the awful things that could, and did happen to the people in his life that he cared for, so it was nice to get a few hours of sleep where he didn't have to think of anything at all. This was the best he could get, dreaming about nothing, because Levi honestly couldn't remember what it was like to dream about something good, something _happy._

So when Levi awoke in the morning, he wasn't very pleased. He wanted to go back to sleep, but the little body on his chest reminded him he should do otherwise. He was afraid if he went back to sleep, the kitten would wake up and start..chewing on something..or..do whatever kids did, Levi wasn't exactly sure. He carefully picked Eren up off his chest, setting him on the bed gently so he wouldn't wake.

The captain slowly dragged himself out of bed, not bothering to pull back the curtains to let the sunshine in, and put a pot of water on the stove to boil to begin making his morning cup of tea. Almost robotically, Levi then brought himself over to his dresser and pulled out the articles of his uniform, slowly, but steadily undressing himself and putting on his clothes for the day. When he turned around to make his way to the bed so he could put on his uniform straps, he noticed a familiar pair of green eyes peeking out at him.

"Oi, that's the second time I've caught you, peeping Tom," Levi pointed out, making his way to the bed and sitting down, bending over to begin buckling his straps. Eren giggled and hid his face in the blanket, cheeks red with embarrassment. He couldn't help being curious, after all, he'd never been with a human so nice before. He slowly crawled out of the blankets and made his way forward, sitting on his hands and knees next to Levi, curiously watching the older buckle his straps. 

Eren reached out, beginning to tug on one of the straps on Levi's thigh. "Hey-" Levi said. "Those aren't for kittens. They're for my 3D maneuver gear so I can fight titans," Levi tried to explain as simply as he could.

"Treed Man Gears?" Eren asked, cocking his head. 

"Mh...Something like that," Levi said, trying to hide his smile, reaching out and ruffling Eren's hair. The kitten seemed to be very eager to learn about this sort of thing. "See these holsters here? That's where my swords go. And these clips here, that's where my gas tanks connect. I control where I fly with little levers on my swords, and with the swords I slay those idiot titans," Levi said, the last part a bit darkly. "They don't even see what's coming."

"Titan?" Eren asked, straightening a bit. He'd heard stories about them, the monsters outside the walls that kept humanity and nekos trapped inside these walls like cattle. Levi fought those things?  "Noo," Eren whined, covering his eyes with his hands, then peeking through them at Levi. "Levy, scary."

"They can be," Levi admitted honestly. "But don't worry. They won't get in these walls again," he said, though his voice wavered. Honestly, he wasn't too sure if it would happen again, but there was no need to scare a little kitten with such possibilities. "Now come on, what do you want for breakfast? Do you like tea?" He asked, and Eren cocked his head, then scrunched up his nose. "Right...I'm guessing something a bit less strong.." He murmured, feeling a bit dumb. What kind of kitten would drink tea? "Uhm.." Levi looked around, scratching his head. "F-fish?" He asked, and Eren covered his face, shaking his head. "Help me out here..." 

"Milk!" Eren exclaimed as he removed his hands from his face. 

"O-oh..That...makes sense.." Levi admitted, walking to the ice box and getting out a pitcher of milk. He wandered around the kitchen a bit before deciding a bowl would be best, pouring the milk in and then walking over to the kitten, setting the bowl on the floor and then lifting Eren out of the bed. He set Eren next to the bowl, patting his head awkwardly. "Alright..there you go.." Levi murmured, walking over to the stove when he heard the kettle whistle. He set the tea to steep and when he turned back around, Eren was just sitting by the bowl, looking at it in confusion. "It's milk. You drink it," Levi said. "It's what you asked me for."

"No.." Eren murmured, crossing his arms. "Muma milk."

"I'm not your mom, kid, I can't whip out my tits and feed you," Levi said exasperatedly. "You just...lean down and drink it like a cat, I don't know..." Levi murmured, sighing. "Maybe I should go ask Hanji about this..I have no clue how to keep you alive."

"Hand jay?" Eren asked. 

"Hanji," Levi corrected. "She studies the titans, I'm sure she knows something about nekos, or cats, or...at least children, said Levi, walking over to Eren and taking the bowl, walking back to the kitchen area and dumping the untouched milk in the sink. He poured himself a cup of tea since it was ready, taking the cup with him as he walked back to the kitten, who suddenly plopped over, lying spread eagle on his back. "Oh?" Levi questioned, raising an eyebrow. 

Eren simply meowed in response, raising his arms toward Levi. "Up!" He demanded.

Levi scoffed, rolling his eyes and kneeling down, careful not to spill his tea as he lifted the boy off the floor and onto his hip, one arm wrapped around him to keep him there. The kitten reached out for Levi's tea and Levi pulled it out of his reach. "No, it's very hot," Levi said. "If you won't drink milk, you definitely won't drink this." 

Eren whined, bottom lip curling and ears twitching in annoyance. "Levy!"

"Stop it, Eren.." Levi murmured. 

"Levy!" Eren whined again, tears brimming his bright green eyes. Why would Levi be so unfair? Eren burst into tears, gripping at Levi's button up and wriggling in his arms.

"S-s-stop that-hey-" Levi stammered, eyes wide in surprise at the kitten's tantrum. "What are you doing? What the hell is wrong with you?" 

"Mean! Mean!" Eren cried, tugging on Levi's shirt. 

"Stop, just stop crying and I'll give you a damn sip," Levi rushed out and Eren immediately stopped, wiping his nose. 

"Sip?" Eren asked, cocking his head. 

"Yes, just _a sip,_ " Levi confirmed firmly. He set the kitten down on the bed, kneeling before him. "Alright.." Levi sighed. Eren kicked his legs excitedly, holding out his hands. Levi couldn't believe he was about to let some strange little boy he'd known for only a day drink from _his teacup._ His favorite one, nonetheless. "I'm not letting you hold it by yourself, you might drop it," Levi said, and Eren nodded nervously. Eren reached out his tiny hands with tiny fingers, and Levi tried not to think about how cute they were. He placed the cup in Eren's hands, placing his own, larger hands around the kitten's. "Alright, slow," said Levi. He helped the kitten raise the cup to his mouth and Eren took a tiny sip, eyes widening. 

"You like it?" Levi asked, a bit hopeful, once he'd pulled the cup away. 

"M-h!" Eren frantically shook his head back and forth, nose scrunched up. It was the most bitter thing the kitten had ever tasted. It was strong and dark in color, no cream, and no sugar. Eren whined, still shaking his head, and Levi sighed.

"Just swallow it, then," Levi mumbled. 

"Uh-mh!" Eren hummed, shaking his head again. 

"Are you serious?" Levi grumbled, and Eren nodded. Levi sighed, holding out his cup, and Eren quickly spit the tea out in it. "I told you, kid," Levi grumbled irritatedly. He didn't want to let Eren spit in his cup and ruin his tea, because for one, spit was absolutely disgusting, and two, once again, spit was _disgusting_. Did Levi really need any other reason? But he had to, because if he hadn't, he was afraid the boy would've spit all over his bed or his carpet, or even worse, _on Levi._ Levi couldn't let that happen. 

The raven got up, sighing as he walked to the kitchen and dumped out his once good cup of tea, placing the cup in the sink, then striding back over to the kitten, who was wiping at his mouth furiously. "Are you going to listen to Captain Levi next time?" He asked dauntingly, kneeling down in front of the boy. Eren looked down guiltily, nodding. "You're just a little kitten, you don't know much yet. Just trust me for now, kid. Got it?" He asked, and Eren nodded again. Hopefully the kid had learned his lesson, at least..for now. "Alright, come on. I would make another cup of tea, but I want to go take you to see Hanji before she leaves her office to go training. Come on, up we go," Levi said, lifting the boy up into his arms. Eren rested his chin on Levi's shoulder, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck. He didn't realize he'd like being held by the older male so much, but it just felt so comforting.

Levi headed out the door after putting out the lamps, then carried Eren down numerous halls, toward Hanji's office. He tried to ignore the stares he got, just focusing straight ahead, but again, it was hard. He ended up barking orders at soldiers like he had the previous day when people stared, and that got them running. "Tch..nosey brats.." Levi murmured quietly, stopping at Hanji's door. He knocked firmly, adjusting Eren in his arms. 

"Levi? Come in!" Hanji called. When Levi opened up the door, she was sitting at her desk, furiously scribbling away on a piece of parchment.

"How'd you know it was me, shitty four eyes?" Levi asked curiously.

"Ah, I've learned by now that no one knocks quite aggressively as-" Hanji tried to explain, but was cut off when she saw Eren in Levi's arms. "Oh my god!" She cried.

"What? What's wrong?" Levi asked, looking behind him for any sort of danger. 

"You have a-it's a little-hey little guy!" Hanji squealed excitedly, getting up from her desk and rushing over, slowing down a bit so she wouldn't startle the boy.

"Yes, I have a neko. He's not mine, I found him yesterday in the wreckage of Regana," Levi explained. "His name's Eren. Eren, this is Hanji."

Eren turned slightly in Levi's arms, one hand brought up to his mouth as he nibbled nervously on his bandaged fingers, green eyes wide. 

"Oh, he's precious. Those are the prettiest eyes I've ever seen, Eren," she assured the kitten enthusiastically, and Eren blushed, giggling slightly, which in turn, made Hanji giggle. "I'm Hanji." 

"Hangway," Eren said. 

"He knows my name!" Hanji practically yelled. 

"Hanji, your name is not Hangway," Levi murmured, rolling his eyes. "This kid is terrible with pronunciation." 

"Levi! He's just a baby," Hanji said. "Of course he can't talk much, he's still learning. 

"Well excuse me for not knowing the appropriate talking age for these things.." Levi murmured.

"Don't call him a thing. Nekos are people too, you know," Hanji pointed out.

"I didn't call him a thing because he's a neko, I called him a thing because he's a kid.." Levi murmured. 

"Honestly Levi, sometimes I don't even think you were a kid. I feel like you just came out as a fully grown man, 3DM Gear and all. Well, maybe you didn't turn out fully grown..." Hanji corrected herself. 

"Oi, Hanji," Levi snapped. "Enough short jokes. I have no clue how to take care of it-I mean... him," Levi explained. 

"Oh, I can help you. I've read a lot about nekos," Hanji assured him. 

"Then maybe you should just take him..." Levi murmured, holding Eren out toward Hanji.

"Levy!" Eren whined, reaching out for Levi and kicking his legs.

"No, no, he's yours. He's obviously attached to you," Hanji chuckled.

"No, he's not mine," said Levi, but he pulled the kitten back against his body. "I'm only keeping him temporarily, until I find a home for him, or until someone claims him."

"Mhm, sure," Hanji said sarcastically. "Anyway, he looks hurt," she pointed out, eying the bandages.

"Yeah, I wrapped him up as best as I could, but I didn't want to take him to a doctor last night because he was just exhausted. Nothing looks too serious, though," Levi explained.

"Mind if I take a look anyway?" Hanji asked. 

"Be my guest," Levi replied, walking over to Hanji's desk and setting the little kitten down on it, still holding onto him so he wouldn't fall. 

Hanji rummaged through one of her desk drawers, pulling out a medical kit and setting it down next to Eren, and the kitten looked up at her nervously. "Don't worry, Eren, I'm just going to take a quick look at you!" Hanji assured him. Eren relaxed slightly, but still leaned over, pressing himself against Levi's side. Levi sighed, wrapping an arm around Eren's shoulders. "So, where'd you find him exactly?" Hanji asked.

"In the wreckage of a house. I had to move a ton of shit to get to him, I was surprised he wasn't dead," Levi said honestly, and Hanji nodded. 

"Were there any other survivors?" She asked.

Levi shook his head. "None that I could find, no." 

"Poor little guy..probably lost his family.." Hanji sighed as she began removing the bandages from Eren's little hands. "Did you clean these?" Hanji asked.

"He lost his mom," Levi said, glancing at the kitten. "And yeah, I did."

"Muma?" Eren asked, cocking his head.

"No, kid. She's not here, I'm sorry," Levi said genuinely.

"His hands look pretty bad, but they seem to be already healing up, so it's good that you cleaned them," said Hanji as she applied an ointment to the boy's battered hands, gently rubbing it in and making him wince slightly, but the kitten was surprisingly brave. Hanji rewrapped them and praised Eren on how brave he was being, then unwrapped his ear and rubbed the same ointment on it. "If this doesn't start healing up within the next couple days, he'll need to get stitches, alright?" Hanji said, and Levi nodded grimly.

"Will it hurt him?" Levi asked. 

"They'll numb him. Not everyone just sews themselves up without pain medication like you, Levi," Hanji chuckled. "He'll be alright, we just have to watch for infection." 

"Good, that shouldn't be a problem as long as we keep everything clean, right?" Levi asked, and Hanji nodded as she finished wrapping up Eren's ear. She ruffled his hair, and Eren purred contently. He liked Hanji, a lot. Not as much as he did Levi, but she was very nice and loving. Any other neko would've liked Hanji much more than Levi, hell, they would've been terrified of Levi. But Eren...was different.

"So, I'm guessing you don't have any clothes for him," said Hanji, nodding to the long-sleeved, white shirt Eren was wearing, and Levi nodded.

"I have no clue where to get something like that on such late notice...I don't have anything for him. I don't even know what to feed him," said Levi.

"Did you try milk?" Hanji asked, looking down at Eren.

"Yes. I put some in a bowl and set it on the floor, but he wouldn't drink it," he sighed exasperatedly. 

"Levi," Hanji laughed. "He's not an animal. He's not going to just drink from a bowl off the floor like a cat, he needs to be bottle fed until he's older. I bet his mother was still nursing him..." Hanji pointed out.

"Ah...So that's why he asked to see my tits.." Levi mumbled, raising an eyebrow.

"He asked to see your tits?" Hanji asked.

"I mean, those words didn't exactly come out of his mouth..." Levi murmured, and Hanji rolled her eyes.

"You really are ridiculous with your jokes, Levi," Hanji laughed. Really only Hanji understood Levi's shit humor and terrible nicknames for people.

 "I'm the ridiculous one...Yeah, right," Levi said sarcastically. "So, where do I get the stuff I need for him?"

"Hm..Bottles and baby supplies, you can get at the store. As for clothes, I know someone who has tons. For a child, of course, but I can cut a hole in the bottoms for a tail," Hanji said. "I'll pick them up this afternoon if she still has them," She said, nodding.

"And how do we find him a new home? I don't know how long I can care for him, with work and all.." Levi murmured. "And I don't think I can leave him alone in my room."

"God no, Levi," Hanji said. "I'm sure Erwin won't mind if you bring him along with you, after all, we're only planning strategies for the war right now...If you are needed for anything physical besides your day to day training, I'm sure we can find someone to watch him."

"But how long do you think I'll have to keep him?" Levi asked. "I'm busy, Hanji, and I never wanted a cat...human.."

"Oh, I'll...spread the word that Eren's in need of a home," Hanji lied. She wasn't going to tell anyone. She would give Levi enough time to fall in love with the little kitten and want to keep him. Hanji was always so worried about Levi being lonely with as private as he was, and she could tell this innocent little guy might help to brighten him up.

"Hm.." Levi nodded, looking at Eren. "So, how old do you suppose he is?"

"Probably...two or three months?" Hanji guessed, and Levi raised an eyebrow.

"He can use the toilet and talk for God's sake, Hanji, I don't think he's two or three months," Levi argued.

"Have you forgotten, or has no one ever told you that nekos age faster than humans?" Hanji asked. "He'll be full grown at about a year, Levi." 

"A-a year?" Levi asked in surprise, looking down at the tiny thing. He couldn't even imagine Eren being an adult so quickly, and he'd only known the kitten for a day. 

Hanji nodded, leaning down to look at Eren a bit closer. "Yeah, that puts him at about two or three months, since he looks like a toddler," she observed. "So in about ten months he'll be full grown and get his first heat."

"I didn't...know that happened so quickly.." Levi admitted, going a bit pale. Some of the nekos he'd...fooled around with in the past could've been only a _year old?_ That was...That was outrageous...

"Mh. But they'll be adults by that age, or at least late teens, around the age when puberty stops for kids," Hanji affirmed. 

"What happens...when he gets his heat?" Levi asked, even though he already knew. He'd seen it before, but never been close to a neko in heat.

"Well, it'll be like when an animal goes into heat...It'll last about a week, and his body will prepare him for mating. He doesn't have to mate, but naturally, he'll want to," said Hanji. "Then he has a chance of getting pregnant. Only omega nekos go into heat, which he looks to me like an omega, definitely," said Hanji, nodding. "But if he was an alpha, he could still get pregnant, or get another neko pregnant, he just wouldn't have a heat like an omega."

Levi nodded, not really taking in the information, still focused on the fact Nekos were full grown in only a year. It made him feel so...pedophile-y.... "So...Omega neko...heat.." Levi murmured blankly. "He'll be smaller than alpha nekos, yeah?"

"Much. An average alpha neko probably comes up to about..here..?" Hanji guessed, bringing a hand up to the middle of her rib cage. "I'm guessing Eren'll be like..here.." She said, putting her hand at her waist as an estimate. 

"He'll be so small.." Levi murmured. 

"Yeah, that's how they were bred to be..or so I read," Hanji said, looking at the kitten again. "Well, you should get to the store. I can tell Erwin where you've gone and why you'll be late to work, if you want," Hanji offered, and Levi nodded, murmuring a thanks, and Hanji smiled. Levi lifted Eren into his arms again, setting him on his hip. "Goodbye, Eren, it was nice meeting you," Hanji said, smiling and scratching behind Eren's ears.

"Bye bye Hagway," Eren said, frowning and whining when Levi began walking away, leaving Hanji unable to pat him anymore. 

"What now, you don't like me as much as you like Hanji now?" Levi asked as they walked out.

"Pats," Eren whined, taking Levi's free hand, placing it on top of his head. "Pats, Levy."

"You want me to pat you.." Levi murmured, sighing. He really couldn't resist...He'd honestly been wanting to. "Alright." 

Eren smiled and closed his eyes in content, letting out rumbling purrs as Levi threaded his hands through the boy's chestnut locks and down his back.

Levi walked them out of the barracks, still patting Eren gently, heading toward the stables. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad taking care of this brat after all...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where to find me:
> 
> Tumblr: http://ambrxiary.tumblr.com
> 
> Email: eternalys13@gmail.com
> 
> Comments and messages are welcome!


	3. The Book

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 3, finally! I'm going to try really hard to keep up with this schedule of updating every Monday! I appreciate all the love, and feel free to leave any comments down below :) p.s. ugh...I have so much homework.

Levi held the kitten tightly against him, cape wrapped around Eren's tiny body as his horse trotted through town. Eren kept peeking out, tiny ears and tail twitching, green eyes wide with fascination at all the bustling people. Levi assumed that Eren really hadn't been let out much, if at all. "Levy!" Eren would squeal about every five seconds, pointing at something random like a bird or a building, and Levi would just nod in slight amusement. He didn't even know how he'd ended up with something so innocent in his care.

He finally pulled on the reins to bring his horse to a stop as they approached the market, and Eren squirmed in Levi's arms to turn around and look at the building. "Levy house?" Eren asked.

"No, You've already been to my room in the barracks. This is the market," Levi explained. "So we can get you the things you need."

"Maggot!" Eren squealed excitedly. "We go to maggot!"

"It's...it's pronounced market," Levi sighed, dismounting his horse with Eren in his arms as the little kitten squealed excitedly about maggots, attracting quite a lot of stares and murmuring. He held Eren on his hip, pushing open the door to the market and stepping in, boots making gentle thuds against the wooden floors.

"C-captain Levi, sir-" The clerk stammered. "How may I help you? Your usual bottle of whisky, sir?"

"No, Alvy, I'm actually looking for something a bit different today," said Levi. "Happen to know anything about nekos?"

The clerk named Alvy raised an eyebrow, looking at Eren in the captain's arms and Eren waved excitedly. "S-sir...where did you-"

"That's not important. I just need help finding what he needs," Levi explained. "And I haven't got all day, the commander will have my ass if I'm not back in an hour."

"U-uh, yes..um.." Alvy stammered, looking around and scratching his head before rushing out from behind the counter and heading over to a very small bookshelf, murmuring under his breath as he searched it. "Aha, here we go," he finally said, pulling out a leather book and handing it to Levi. "This is the only book on care for nekos that we have..."

Levi opened up the book, squinting to read the table of contents. "Chapter 1: How To Pick Your Neko," Levi read aloud, raising an eyebrow and looking at Eren. "Chapter 2: How To Cage Your Neko." Who the fuck would put a baby in a cage? "Chapter 3: How To Feed and Bathe Your Neko... Alright, that's a little bit better," Levi murmured, shrugging. There were at least thirty chapters, and as he glanced over it, he noticed chapter twenty was called "Heat." He quickly flipped the book to a different page, searching through it until he found what he was looking for in the first chapter. "Alright, Alvy, listen carefully. I'm going to need blankets, bottles, milk, pacifiers, a baby bassinet, a brush, and anything else useful for a baby," said Levi.

"Y-yes-I, yes, okay," Alvy said. "I'm not sure how much of that we have, but, follow me." Alvy began walking off quickly and Levi followed him, adjusting Eren in his arms. Alvy led them to a back section of the store that had a small assortment of baby items. "Here's a bassinet," Alvy said, taking a small pink and white woven bassinet off one of the bottom shelves. "And here's...We have some blankets and some bottles, and the milk'll be in the ice box out back.." Alvy said, holding out the bassinet to Levi. Levi set Eren down and took the bassinet, holding it out so Alvy could place several soft blankets in it and the bottles, then a pacifier. "Come with me, I'll get the milk," Alvy said, walking back toward the counter.

Levi followed Alvy back to the front of the store and Alvy went behind the counter, disappearing into the room behind it where extra supplies and food items were kept. He returned moments later with a few bottles of milk, then set them on the counter. Levi nodded in thanks, setting the bassinet full of items on the counter and looking down beside him, expecting Eren to be there, but he wasn't. "Oi..." Levi murmured. "Eren." He looked around, but Eren was no where in sight. "Where the hell..." Levi mumbled under his breath. "Fuck. He's gone."

"He's what?" Alvy asked, eyes widening.

"I said he's fucking gone, are you deaf? Help me look for him," Levi snapped, quickly walking away to look around. The shop wasn't very big, but Eren was quite small. And he could have easily gotten out.. "Eren!" Levi called, feet stomping as he hurried around the shop, Alvy following. "Eren!" Levi was beginning to get worried now. What if Eren had gotten out? What if someone had kidnapped him? After all, nekos were quite valuable in these parts. And most important of all, when the hell did Levi start caring about this boy?

"Shit, my boss is going to kill me," Alvy said worriedly.

"I'll kill you before your boss does," Levi grumbled, running a hand through his hair frustratedly. "Fuck, I thought he was with me-" Levi mumbled. He'd honestly assumed Eren would just follow him...But apparently that wasn't the case. "Eren!"

"Na?" A little head poked out from behind a shelf, a pair of wide, green eyes staring at Levi questioningly and Levi let out a deep breath of relief. He made quick strides, making his way to Eren in only a few seconds, then plucking the kitten up from the floor and into his arms.

"Jesus, kid, you scared me," Levi mumbled, looking down at Eren before noticing something in the boy's hands. "What do you have there?" Levi asked, and Eren held out a little stuffed bear, waving it in Levi's face. Levi blinked, taking it out of Eren's tiny hand. "Oh?" Levi mumbled. He'd never had a stuffed animal before. In fact, he'd never even held one. It was extremely soft, so no wonder the little kitten was attracted to it. "Hm. Cute," Levi murmured under his breath, handing the bear back to Eren, who hugged it against his chest. "I suppose you can have that, as well...Just add that to the bill, Alvy."

"Are you sure, Captain? It's already a lot of money you're spending.." Alvy pointed out.

"It'll be fine.." Levi murmured. He'd saved up quite a lot of money over the years since really all he ever bought were cravats and whisky. Spending a few extra dollars on the kid wouldn't kill him...Though, Levi wasn't sure why he was spending money on a kid he wasn't even going to keep. Alvy nodded and led Levi back to the counter.

"Cat?" Eren asked, holding the bear in Levi's face again.

"Bear," Levi corrected. "You're the cat. Well, half of one, anyway."

"Cabear.." Eren babbled.

Alvy rung up all the items, then told Levi the total.

"Tch...I don't have that much on me. Just pull up my tab and I'll pay for it next time I come in," Levi said, and Alvy nodded.

"I'll bring these out for you and strap them to your horse," Alvy offered, and Levi nodded. Alvy disappeared outside with all of the items Levi had purchased, except of course the stuffed bear Eren hung onto.

"Don't run away from me like you did earlier, kid, you'll make me shit my pants..." Levi mumbled to the kitten.

"You shi your pa," Eren babbled and Levi sighed. Maybe he should watch his language more around this kid...

Soon enough, Alvy returned, stating that everything was strapped to the horse and they were all set to go. Levi thanked him, heading outside with Eren on his hip and mounting his horse.

The ride home was fairly quiet, Eren entertained by his bear he now referred to as "Beawwy." Levi couldn't help smiling at that, but he would quickly hide it before anyone saw.

Almost immediately as they pulled up, Hanji rushed out. "Levi!"

Levi sighed, rolling his eyes as he dismounted his horse. "What?"

"I got the clothes for Eren. Also, Erwin's pissed," she said casually and Levi rubbed the bridge of his nose. Dammit, he should've known Erwin wouldn't be happy with this.

"How pissed?" Levi murmured, adjusting Eren in his arms.

"Like...um..8/10?" Hanji guessed and Levi groaned. "I left the boxes of clothes outside your door...I can take in this stuff so you can deal with Erwin," Hanji suggested, beginning to untie the bassinet filled with supplies.

"Yeah..thanks.." Levi murmured.

"I can take Eren too, if you want."

Levi nodded and held Eren out to Hanji but Eren screeched, reaching back toward Levi and flailing. "Levy!" the kitten screeched. He didn't want to leave Levi; he couldn't.

"Oi oi-" Levi stammered, pulling Eren back against himself so the kitten would calm down. "What's your deal? Suddenly afraid of Hanji?" But to be honest, Levi was kind of afraid of Hanji, too.

Eren shook his head. He liked Hanji, he really did. But she wasn't Levi. "I wa Levy," Eren whined, burying his face in Levi's neck.

"Hoh?" Levi breathed in confusion, rubbing Eren's back.

"Awe, Levi," Hanji squealed. "He likes you."

"He...He's mistaken, he doesn't even know me..." Levi mumbled, refusing to believe it, even though he knew it was true. But he still didn't understand how such an innocent little thing could like someone like him. "But I suppose I'll just have to take him with me.." Levi mumbled, and Hanji nodded.

"I go wif," Eren said happily into Levi's neck, kicking his little bare legs. Levi had been so kind to him and hadn't left his side for more than a minute since he found him. Since Eren didn't have his mother, Levi was the only one he could really rely on.

"Mh. Yeah, you'll come with me, but you've gotta be good for the commander, alright?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded, not pulling his face out of Levi's warm neck.

"Good luck with that...I'll take care of this," said Hanji, smirking slightly and rushing off before Levi could give her any shit. Levi sighed and began walking through the field where some trainees were practicing hand to hand combat nearby, and Levi shouted at the sloppy ones to clean up their punches and widen their stances before he finally reached the door and made his way inside the building that held Erwin's office. He rushed down several hallways as quickly as he could, avoiding peoples' stares as he finally reached Erwin's office and banged on the door.

"Come in," a muffled voice called, so Levi slowly entered. Erwin took a few seconds before looking up from his paperwork. "Levi. I'm glad you decided to show up," Erwin murmured sarcastically.

"Erwin, before you chew my ass for this, it's your fault in the first place," Levi blurted out. Ok, blaming your superior for you having a neko and not showing up to work probably wasn't the best opening line. "Alright, I mean- okay, I found this kid in the ruins of Regana, and there was no one else that I could find.."

"What's your point? You were supposed to bring any survivors to a hospital or a shelter," Erwin pointed out.

"But he was all alone, and he's a neko. They won't accept him at any places like that, and I couldn't just leave him to die, or for some sleaze-bag to find him and...use him," Levi said, looking down at the neko.

"Alright, then sell him. Give him away or something," Erwin said.

"I'm trying. Hanji and I are trying to find someone to take him," Levi murmured.

"Why doesn't Hanji just take him?" Erwin asked. "That would be most convenient for right now."

"Well, um-"

"Levy!" Eren cut Levi off, pulling his face out of Levi's neck and pressing his cheek against the older's, rubbing them against each other and turning to look at Erwin with his bright green eyes.

"He's sort of attached to me..." Levi murmured, sighing.

"Sort of?" Erwin asked skeptically, staring into the kitten's aqua eyes. "Seems so..."

"My Levy," Eren squeaked, ears twitching and he let out a mew that caught Erwin by surprise.

"Levi...The more you let this kid get attached to you, the harder it'll be to give him up. You know that, right?" Erwin asked.

"W-what? It won't be hard to give him up, I don't even want him...He's a brat.." Levi murmured, but when he looked down at Eren, he had a certain fondness in his eyes Erwin had never seen before.

Eren covered his eyes, giggling slightly and removing his hands quickly to see Levi, then repeating the action as though he was playing peek-a-boo. "Beawwy," Eren giggled, holding his bear up in Levi's face.

"Yeah, I see Beary, he was very damn expensive..." Levi murmured.

"...Beary..?" Erwin asked, rubbing his brow. "What the fuck has happened to you."

"Nothing, Erwin, I'm just trying to keep the damn kid from crying," Levi snapped. "Just let me keep him for a few days until I find him a home."

"Levi..We have so much work to get done..." Erwin grumbled.

"I can take a few days off training and I can do the paperwork in my room and have someone bring it to you," Levi said simply. "Unless you want me running around with a kitten all over the barracks where he could easily get his hands on 3DMG or-"

"Alright, fine," Erwin snapped, finally giving in. "You have three days. Three days to find the kid a home, and that's it," Erwin said firmly, and Levi nodded.

"I can do that," Levi confirmed, and Eren cocked his head, ears twitching in confusion. Levi wasn't going to give him away, right?

"Good. You'd better have someone bring me your paperwork tonight," Erwin said, and Levi nodded.

"You're one to make demands when I never got my damn tea..." Levi grumbled.

"What was that? Erwin asked, and Levi just waved his hand, walking out with Eren and closing the door behind him. Erwin just sighed, shaking his head. This was going to be a complete mess, he could tell.

Back at Levi's room, there was a mess of stuff outside his door. The bassinet with all of the supplies he bought, as well as three large boxes he assumed were the clothes Hanji had gotten for Eren and he sighed. Where the hell was he going to put all this shit? He opened the door and set Eren down on the bed, then began to drag everything in. Eren watched in fascination as the raven moved things back and forth until he finally got everything in the room and slammed the door shut, breathing a bit heavy. "Alright, kid...At least we've got you some stuff to wear..." Levi sighed, dragging one of the boxes over to the bed and opening it up, eyes widening at the sheer amount of clothes. They were all whites and soft pastel colors and fabrics, most of them frilly dresses. Right...Levi had forgotten how much people liked to dress up their nekos...

Eren cocked his head from side to side and looked in the box. He'd never seen such nice clothes before. His mother had always spoken of nekos owned by the richer ones inside the inner walls and how their nekos got to wear dresses and nicely made clothes, and Eren had always wanted something like that. Eren reached in the box, little hands pulling out fistfuls of tiny dresses and blouses. "Me?" Eren asked, pointing to himself, and Levi nodded.

"Yeah, they're for you...Here.." Levi said, pulling out a navy blue dress with white polkadots on it, a white collar rimmed with pink satin to match the hem of the dress also rimmed with satin, and four little buttons on the chest. "This looks about your size. I'll help you put it on," Levi spoke, pulling the white shirt off over Eren's head, then had the kitten raise his arms so Levi could slip the dress on, then the little matching undershorts. Eren cocked his head and looked at Levi, holding Beary to his chest and holy shit, Levi felt his heart melt. He'd never seen anything so cute before...Cute? This was so unlike him...what was happening?

"I fit!" Eren squealed and Levi nodded, unable to help his smile and he cupped Eren's chin.

"Yeah, it fits. You'll be the prettiest kitten around..." Levi couldn't help murmuring. "Now come on, lets get you some socks." Levi dug through the box until he found a pair of ankle high, white socks with frilly lace on the edges, then slipped them onto the boy's little feet. "Now they'll be a lot warmer, yeah?" Levi said, rubbing the kitten's tiny feet to warm them up.

"Warm," Eren said, nodding and wiggling his toes, bringing his hands up to nibble on his bandaged fingers.

"I bet you're probably fucking starving..." Levi murmured in realization, standing up to go make a bottle and Eren whined, letting out a little cry and reaching for Levi, so Levi sighed, walking back over to Eren and picking him up to hold him on his hip as he grabbed the bottles and the milk he'd purchased and headed to the kitchen, struggling to light the stove, then fill up a pot of water to heat up with one hand, Eren squirming happily in his other hand. "Calm down, it's just milk," Levi murmured as he filled the glass bottle with milk and screwed it shut, then placed it in the warming water.

"Iwa wa?" Eren asked, trying to reach for the hot pot of water, but Levi quickly batted his hands away.

"No, it's hot," Levi scolded, but Eren kept trying to touch it, so Levi had to step out of range of the pot. "Are you stupid?" He murmured to the kid, and Eren just looked confused before giggling.

Levi sighed, bouncing Eren a bit and tapping the counter as he waited and eventually he deemed the milk hot enough. He took it out of the hot water and blew out the stove, then tested the milk on his wrist. How was he even supposed to know if this was the right temperature? He shrugged. The milk just had to be warm, right? It felt warm to him. "Alright, kid.." Levi murmured, sitting down on the bed and leaning back against the headboard, situating Eren in the crook of his arm. "Here you go." Levi handed Eren the bottle, and Eren just stared at it in confusion. "Are you really going to make me feed you?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded.

Levi sighed, taking the bottle and placing the tip in Eren's mouth, gently lifting it up and Eren immediately started nursing, his little hands coming up to cup around Levi's, the kitten's eyes closing in content as he drank, his hunger finally becoming eased.

Levi wasn't sure when the last time the kid ate was, but he seemed pretty hungry, gulping down the bottle quickly, so Levi kept having to pull it away to slow him down, afraid the kid would choke. He watched Eren contently nurse once the kitten slowed down a bit, holding him tight in the crook of his arm and his free hand coming up to brush through Eren's hair. "You're gonna be the death of me..." Levi murmured quietly to the nursing kitten. But maybe it wouldn't be such a bad way to die...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where to find me:
> 
> Tumblr: http://ambrxiary.tumblr.com
> 
> Email: eternalys13@gmail.com
> 
> Comments and messages are welcome!
> 
> Also, Eren's dress he was wearing in this chapter -https://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images;_ylt=A0LEVzKCV51Wj4wA1UxXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTE0djQ3dThjBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDQjExNzhfMQRzZWMDcGl2cw--?p=cute+baby+dresses&fr=spigot-yhp-sfmac&fr2=piv-web#id=152&iurl=http%3A%2F%2Fbabygirlgiftideas.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F02%2Fcute-baby-dress-1-4.jpg&action=click


	4. The Silly Little Bear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so glad you guys still like this story, and I'm pretty proud of myself for having updated on time every Monday. I'm going to try and start posting them a little earlier, though, if I can. I didn't have much time to check this chapter over and my beta is asleep, so let me know if there are any mistakes! Also, if you have any ideas for the fic, feel free to let me know! I would absolutely love to hear what you guys want.

"Eren, stop that please, I'm trying to work," Levi spoke to the kitten, plucking him off his lap for about the  **thousandth time.**

"Levy," Eren squealed, pulling on Levi's pant leg and trying to climb up the wooden chair and back into his lap. 

"Eren," Levi growled warningly, rubbing his brow and looking down at the kitten, pulling him away again and setting him down on the floor. Eren's tail flicked from beneath the hem of his pink dress, and he took his tail into his little hands to bring it up to his mouth and nibble on the tip of it as he began running in circles around Levi, unsteady on his wobbly legs. "You'd better not come crying to me if you fall," Levi grumbled, but when Eren finally tripped, he reached out and caught the kitten by the arm quick as lightning, catching him just before he fell. Eren looked surprised for a moment before he began giggling.

"It's not funny. You're going to get hurt," said Levi, but when Eren looked up at him with those bright green eyes and his toothy smile, Levi couldn't help how the corners of his lips twitched slightly, attempting to smile, but he held it back. 

So far, Eren had been with him for about a week. He was surprised, really. Who the hell wouldn't want a free neko with supplies and all? Hanji said she was trying her best...but Hanji could be...a bit of a tease sometimes. Oh, and in that week, Levi was supposed to be getting work done. Supposed to be...But not being very successful. 

"I want up," Eren demanded, rightening his balance and reaching up toward Levi before beginning to climb back into his lap. Levi sighed, lifting Eren up and placing him in his lap, an arm wrapping around the kitten's middle to keep him seated. Eren purred and let out little meows of satisfaction at having gotten what he wanted, taking Levi's hand and rubbing his cheek against it as he purred. Eren had done that with almost everything in Levi's room, but mostly on Levi himself. Hanji said it was how cats and nekos marked their territories and their belongings. 

_"I don't belong to a cat, Hanji," Levi growled irritatedly._

_"Maybe not in your opinion, but to Eren, you definitely belong to him," Hanji laughed._

_"Why is he marking me? And all of **my** stuff? Does he think he can just own whatever he wants? _ _Tch."_

_"It's not that type of owning. He just does it to show that it's his territory, and you're his human, so that other cats and nekos know to stay away," Hanji explained._

_"I'm not his human," Levi argued. "And he's marked everything except that damn bassinet. He won't even get close to it, Hanji. He won't sleep anywhere but in my bed or **on top of me** ," Levi complained._

_"Is that so?" Hanji laughed, obviously not taking his complaints seriously._

Levi sighed when he thought back to it. Would Eren be okay going to a different home when one was found for him? The kid had gotten so attached to him, but....No, what was Levi thinking? He couldn't keep him. He had no clue how to care for a child or a cat, and he had to return to work soon. And besides, Eren would get older some day and have his heat, and want another neko or a human to mate with. Levi had no intent on mating with Eren, he was just a  _baby._ He actually didn't like the thought of anyone mating with the kid, as he knew nekos were used so often. That's why he wanted to find him a good home, but he knew he wasn't the best person to give Eren that home. 

"Levy," Eren said, tilting his head up to look at Levi, little eyes wide as he looked at Levi almost upside down. 

"Hm?" Levi asked, running a hand through Eren's hair. 

"Comfy," Eren said, and Levi sighed. Levi really was comfy. Eren didn't feel safe anywhere but with Levi. He would sleep curled up to him at night or on his chest, fall asleep in his arms after he had been fed, or curl up and fall asleep in the older's lap while he did paperwork. He almost thought Levi taking him out of his lap and setting him down repeatedly was a game, and Eren thought it was quite fun, especially when he won and got to stay in Levi's lap. Which was...Always.

"Yeah, kid, I know. You do realize adults don't sleep in people's laps, right?" Levi asked and Eren just cocked his head. "You don't really care, I'm guessing," Levi mumbled. "Anyway...Just..you gotta be quiet while I work, alright? Here," Levi said, handing Eren Beary. The kitten took the stuffed bear into his arms, snuggling it against his chest and squirming and rolling until he got himself situated in Levi's lap, all set in the crook of the older's arm while his other arm was free so he could do paperwork. 

Eren watched with interest as Levi scribbled things down and stamped things Erwin wanted him to approve for the scouts, stopping to rub his forehead every once in a while. He really hated paperwork. But he'd look down at the content little kitten snuggled in his arms, simply happy with just watching him, and it helped him to feel a little bit better.

"Oi, Eren," Levi spoke, and Eren looked up. "How close have you been to the walls?" 

"Ah?" Eren cocked his head from side to side, ears twitching in confusion. 

"Hm. Come on, we're going for a ride," Levi said, standing up with Eren in his arms and walking over to the coat rack, grabbing his cape and putting it on, then grabbing Eren's little pink crocheted jacket, setting the boy down so he could slip it on him and button it up. Levi pulled the hood up and he couldn't help the little smirk that overcame him when he saw the little bear ears on top of the hood he hadn't noticed before now. The hood came slightly below Eren's eyes and Eren giggled, reaching out his hands and pressing them to Levi's face. 

"Where Levy? There!" The boy giggled and Levi pulled up the hood a bit so Eren could see again. 

"Yeah, kid, you found me," Levi confirmed. "Silly bear." 

"Sil bear," Eren confirmed. 

"A silly and little bear. Very little bear," Levi said, double checking to make sure Eren's coat was buttoned up tight even though it wasn't very cold out. "Alright, come on now Little Bear," He said, lifting the boy up again and carrying him out the door.

"Where go?" Eren asked with confusion in his squeaky voice. 

"You'll see," Levi said, carrying the little kitten out to the stables and getting his horse ready. He mounted her with the kitten still in his arms, having the boy sit in front of him so he could hold him while being able to still steer properly. 

They set out on their ride, Levi holding onto Eren a bit tighter than usual, finding himself becoming more and more protective of the little kitten. It wasn't a very long ride, maybe ten, fifteen minutes before the wall came into clear view. Eren had always been able to see it in the distance from wherever he would go, but now it was up close, and even bigger than the little kitten could've even imagined. 

"Big wall," Eren said, pointing at it and Levi hummed in agreement, finally coming within a few feet of the wall before pulling on the reins to stop his horse and dismount her, then lifting Eren back into his arms. 

"You've never seen what's on the other side, have you?" Levi asked, though he knew the answer. Eren shook his head, looking at Levi. "Hold on tight."

Levi shot the grappling hook of his 3DMG into the top of the wall once he pulled out his swords, or at least, the handles of his swords since he didn't have blades stocked in them right now. He kept his arms firmly around Eren as he pressed the gas and the button to pull them toward his hook, sending them shooting upward and Eren let out a terrified, yet excited squeal. He held tight to Levi, watching the ground below them move further and further away as they rose high up in the air.

"Levy!" Eren cried.

"S'alright, kid, I've got you," Levi assured him , but by then they'd already reached the top of the wall, Levi landing firmly on his feet. He pulled Eren away from himself a bit to check if he was okay, and the kitten was giggling. 

"Again!" Eren demanded. 

"Another day," Levi promised. "For today, we're here to look at this," said Levi, turning Eren so the boy could see the vast, beautiful land beyond the walls.

"P-piture?" Eren asked, cocking his head in confusion. The only things he'd ever seen compared to this beauty were just paintings. 

"No, not a picture. Real," Levi confirmed, looking at the kitten's face change from confusion to awe and amazement. "Those are the lands beyond the walls, the ones we're not allowed in," Levi explained, eying the Garrison members guarding the wall who were staring at them, but didn't dare say anything even though Levi wasn't supposed to be up here, especially with a civilian. Eren was so amazed, his innocent eyes so full of wonder and it made Levi's heart beat just a little bit faster. There was a scraping sound and Eren turned his gaze downward, gasping and gripping at Levi's shirt in fear. 

Levi looked down and looked at the hoard of titans scratching and scraping at the wall, their empty eyes and soulless smiles penetrating the calmness of the atmosphere. Eren buried his face in Levi's neck, letting out a whine of fear. 

"It's alright.." Levi said, hesitantly rubbing Eren's back. "They can't hurt you." But Levi knew full well they could and would if they had the opportunity to. "Those are the titans. They can't get us from here," Levi assured the kitten and Eren slowly pulled his face out of Levi's neck, glancing down at the beasts.

"Scawey," Eren whispered and Levi nodded.

"They can be. They can't get you from here, though. I would never let them," Levi assured the boy. "They're what plague the beauty of the outside world; that's why we're trapped in these walls like cattle"

"Mh.." Eren looked down at the titans again, furrowing his brows. "I don like," Eren said, shaking his head. 

"You and me both, kid. Just focus on what's beyond them," Levi said, pointing to the sunset in the distance, and Eren was once again entranced by the beauty.

They watched the sun set together, and Levi wasn't even sure how long he just held the kitten, staring out over the walls until he was broken out of his thoughts by a little kittenish yawn. He looked at the boy, adjusting him in his arms. "I suppose we should get you home," Levi said, and Eren mewed in reply.

Levi gently lowered them to the ground as he held onto Eren tightly, once again mounting his horse.

Once back, Eren was already quite sleepy, but Levi would have to give him a bath before bed and feed him. Taking care of a neko was hard work, but they'd begun to fall into a routine, and Levi got more and more used to it. Maybe even started to enjoy it. 

But bath time was definitely his least favorite part of the day. He walked in and took off his mantle and Eren's coat, then their shoes. When Levi began carrying Eren toward the bathroom, Eren almost immediately realized what was going on.

"Levy-Levy, no-" the kitten whined, starting to meow desperately. 

"You need a bath, Eren, you know the drill," Levi said, walking into the bathroom and sitting down on the edge of the tub, setting Eren down so he could begin undressing the fussy, squirming kitten after he began the water. Eren whined and continued his high pitched meows, frowning as Levi raised Eren's arms up and slipped his dress off, then his undershorts. He set the squirming kitten in the half filled bath after making sure it wasn't too hot or too cold. Eren was meowing and crying, tears dripping down his rosy cheeks.

"Eren.." Levi murmured. "Are you really going to cry every time I give you a bath?"

"I wet, it wet!" Eren mewed.

"Yes, water is wet. I'm glad you're so observational..." Levi murmured sarcastically. "It'll be over soon. A lot sooner if you'd stop crying..." He mumbled, the last part under his breath. 

"Cold!" Eren whined. 

"Eren, the water is warm. I'm not stupid, you know," Levi mumbled and Eren flicked his tail, water splashing and hitting Levi in the face. "Oi, brat."

"You brat," Eren said, wiping his nose and Levi reached in the tub, splashing some water back at Eren and making the kitten squeal. "Levy!"

"That's what you get.." Levi said matter of factly, grabbing the soap and a washcloth to begin washing the boy off, and Eren stopped squirming in defeat. 

Levi finally managed to wash Eren up, including his hair, which caused quite a bit of fuss from the boy, but finally Levi had him wrapped up in a fluffy white towel. 

"See? It wasn't so bad...I like baths.." Levi murmured tiredly as he rubbed the boy's hair dry with the towel. 

"No!" Eren said, shaking his head and pulling away, running out of the bathroom, little feet patting against the floor. He was still butt naked.

"Oi, get back here!" Levi called. He didn't want cat butt all over his furniture. He rushed out of the bathroom and Eren was running around the room, giggling. "You're playing games just to mess with me, aren't you?" Levi realized and Eren giggled innocently, even though Levi knew the boy was anything from innocent. "Get back here, brat," Levi demanded, but there was a hint of playfulness in his voice as he began to chase the little naked kitten around the room...In a non...creepy way. 

"I'm going to get you, Bear, you'd better watch it," Levi threatened playfully, but he purposely went slow to make Eren think he couldn't catch him. After all, Eren really couldn't go very fast on his stubby little baby legs. He chased the kitten around the room until the tiny thing was giggling and completely winded. Eren finally stopped, bending over to look at Levi upside down from in between his legs, and he began to smack his little booty as he giggled.

"You disgust me.." Levi murmured, smirking as he finally plucked the little kitten from the floor and held him under his arm as Eren kicked his legs. 

"Levy 'gain!" Eren squealed, but there was a knock at the door. 

"Maybe in a bit, Eren," Levi said as he continued holding the kitten under his arm like a football as he walked to the door, opening it up, surprised to see who was there. "Erwin," Levi spoke. "You know I don't like to work after dark."

"Good news, Levi. I found Eren a home," said Erwin, and Levi felt his heart sink.

He had to give Eren away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's dress -http://wheretoget.it/look/1942216
> 
> Eren's coat - http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=90403359
> 
> Where to find me:
> 
> Tumblr: http://ambrxiary.tumblr.com
> 
> Email: eternalys13@gmail.com
> 
> Comments and messages are welcome!


	5. The Owner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Cliffhanger is now officially over, enjoy reading! Also, I got the nickname "Erebear" From AoHaru9. They're such a good fan and it's such a clever name, so go give them some love! <3 Sorry if this chapter isn't my best, I've had some major relationship issues this week and now I'm super sick lol. But I tried!

"Y-you what?" Levi asked

"Found him an owner, like you wanted," Erwin replied. "That is what you wanted, right?" 

Levi looked down at Eren in his arms, the little kitten looking between Erwin and Levi with a confused and nervous look on his face. "I..yeah..." Levi murmured. "Yeah...that would be best.."

"Mh. I agree," Erwin said, nodding.

"Ower?" Eren asked. 

"An o-owner..yes.." Like mumbled. The word sounded so wrong when it rolled off his tongue. Eren was a person, not a pet. "They'll...You'll go live with them...They'll take good care of you."

"A-Levy ower!" Eren said excitedly, flinging his arms around Levi's neck. 

"N-no, not me-I-" Levi stammered, looking up at Erwin. "How much time do I have?"

"They'll come to collect him first thing tomorrow morning," Erwin explained. "You'll have him ready by then, yeah?" He asked, and Levi gulped, nodding. 

"Goodnight, Levi," Erwin said, giving the captain a small wave before backing out of the room, closing the door behind him. Levi was shocked, dumbfounded, and completely confused as the realization hit him that this was his last night with Eren.

"Levy?" Eren asked when Levi didn't move for a long time, and Levi slowly looked down at the boy, but was unable to look into his emerald eyes for more than a few seconds before having to look away, feeling incredibly guilty.

"Eren, we have to have a talk.." Levi murmured, wandering over to the bed and sitting down, adjusting Eren so he was in his lap, facing him, and his hands on the boy's tiny waist to keep him still. 

"I trouble?" Eren asked, pointing to himself and looking worried. 

"No, Little Bear, you're not in trouble," Levi assured him, sighing. "You have to go live in a new home tomorrow. Isn't that...exciting?" Levi forced himself to say. Why was he feeling so beat up about this? Was it because he felt bad for Eren, or something else?

"Levy come?" Eren asked, ears twitching. 

"N-no, I can't come. You need to go live with someone else now, I don't...I can't keep you here," Levi tried to explain. "I'm much too busy.."

"W-wh-Levy?" Eren asked, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Don't...Don't do that..Eren...come on.." Levi mumbled, running a hand through his hair, looking up at the ceiling. Why was this so hard? 

"I want Levy," Eren whined, sniffling and rubbing at his eyes. 

"Look, kid...You knew this stay was only temporary..." Levi murmured, though he knew he probably wasn't helping Eren feel better. "Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to."

"Why?" Eren whispered heartbrokenly, ears twitching in confusion as he looked up into Levi's gray eyes. "Why, Levy?"

"Because..." Levi mumbled, not quite sure what to say. He didn't have a real answer. "Because...That's just..How things are. You'll learn that more as you get older."

Eren sniffled again, a little sob escaping his lips. "Levy don-don leave Eren," the kitten mewed. Levi's face fell even more so than it already had.  _Fuck._ Why was something so innocent in his care? He knew it would only end in Eren getting hurt.

"Y-you're going to go to a new, nice home," Levi whispered, voice dying. "You'll love it there, much more than this place. And you'll have someone to properly care for you, instead of me, because I honestly have no clue what I'm doing."

"I no want new home," Eren whined. "I wa Levy." The kitten leaned forward and buried his face in Levi's chest, sobbing, wetting the fabric of Levi's button up with his tears. 

"Eren.." Levi whispered, a hand coming up to gently rub the boy's back and then thread through his chestnut brown hair. He wanted Eren to stay, too. He didn't want Eren to go to a new home, but it would be selfish of him to keep the boy. He knew nothing about caring for nekos, and Eren deserved a proper, loving home where he could get the care he needs. 

"I wan be Levy's bear," Eren sobbed, little fists twisting into Levi's shirt desperately.

"Hey...You'll still...You'll still be my little bear," Levi whispered, scratching behind the boy's neko ears. "I promise."

"Then why no wan Eren?" Eren sobbed. 

"I do want you, but that's not how things work. You have to be strong and go to a new home, alright?" Levi forced himself to reply. Eren said nothing, only continuing to cry into Levi's shirt until after about an hour, his sobs quieted down to sniffles, then to shaky breathing. Levi looked down at the kitten slumped against him, Eren's face turned to the side slightly so he could see it. Eren was asleep, lips parted and soft puffs of air escaping him, his chubby cheek smushed against Levi's chest. The kid had tired himself out just from crying, and Levi knew it was all his fault. He should have listened to Erwin; he shouldn't have let Eren get close to him like this. He shouldn't have let himself get close to Eren.

Levi adjusted Eren a bit in his arms, getting up and walking over to his chair by the slowly dying fire, sitting down in it with Eren still pressed against his chest. He stared blankly at the flickering flames, brows furrowed in thought. He knew he should be spending this time packing Eren's things and getting ready to send the boy off, but he couldn't bring himself to put Eren down. He ran his fingers through the kitten's hair, sighing. Maybe for now, he could just pretend this wasn't the last night he'd ever have with Eren.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there with the kitten in his arms, but he knew it must've been at least a couple hours before he felt the boy stir and let out a small, kittenish whine. 

"Shh. It's alright," Levi murmured softly, wrapping his arms a bit tighter around Eren as the kitten's face relaxed again and he quieted down. Levi sighed, leaning his head back and finally closing his eyes.

The next morning, Eren wouldn't even speak to Levi. "Eren, please eat," Levi murmured, holding the squirming kitten tight in one arm as his free hand held the bottle, desperately trying to make the boy take it into his mouth.

"No wan-I no want," Eren sobbed, whining again and twisting in Levi's arms.

"Fine,"  Levi snapped, slamming the bottle down on the table and setting Eren on the bed. "Be hungry, then, see if I care."

Eren looked up at Levi, the boy holding his tail nervously and he let out a few sniffles before bursting into tears again.

"Eren-" Levi stammered frustratedly. "I didn't-" Levi didn't even know what to say. He knew he shouldn't have said that, but what else was he supposed to say? Eren absolutely hated him at this point, or at least was acting like he did. "Come on, let's just get you dressed. You have to look nice for your new..owner.." Levi forced himself to say. He walked back over to Eren, picking him up under his arms and Eren cried louder, kicking his legs and squirming again, forcing Levi to almost lose his grip on the kid. "Jesus fuck-" Levi whispered under his breath, carrying Eren over to one of the boxes of clothes he still hadn't quite found a place for. He set Eren on the floor and kneeled down next to him, and Eren tried to run away, crying, but Levi quickly grabbed him and in a quick swoop set him where he needed him to be. "Eren, just stay there."

"I no wan!" Eren screamed.

"I don't care," Levi replied. "You need to wear clothes, Eren, there's no arguing about it."

"I wan bear suit!" Eren yelled.

"I don't have a bear suit," Levi sighed. "Just lift up your arms, Eren, I already have an outfit for you."

Eren refused to lift up his arms, crossing them and letting out whines. Levi sighed again, forcing up Eren's arms and pulling off the pink dress the boy had ended up sleeping in, then removed his undershorts, his socks, and his shoes, despite the boy kicking at Levi's hands as he did so. Levi forced Eren's arms up again and slipped on a white and navy sailor style dress, then white undershorts and white ruffled socks, along with navy blue Mary Janes. It took Levi practically twice as long to get Eren dressed than it usually did, but he finally finished, ending with slipping a white sailor hat with a navy blue bow on the front. Eren really did look precious, despite how mad and hurt he looked.

"You look so pretty, Ere-" Levi was cut off when Eren took off his hat, throwing it on the floor. He kicked off his Mary Janes, kicking them aside, along with his socks. 

"No!" Eren yelled, wiping at his eyes and storming away on wobbly legs, bare feet patting against the wooden floor. Eren increased his speed and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him, and Levi could hear the kitten crying inside. Luckily Eren was too short to reach the lock so he couldn't lock himself in, but still, this situation wasn't exactly a good one.

Levi wandered over to the bed, sitting down and resting his elbows on his knees, chin falling into his hands. Why did Eren have to make this so much harder? After all, he'd only been with Levi for a week, how attached could he get? Although. Levi had seen how Eren had grown over the past week. It was a bit hard to notice, but, Levi could tell Eren had grown. After all, Nekos did grow quite fast. It couldn't have been more than a centimeter Eren grew, and his speech increased, but Levi had noticed even the littlest things. He didn't want to admit to himself how much he'd miss Eren, he didn't want to admit to himself that he wanted to see Eren grow up.

Levi wasn't sure what time Erwin was coming with Eren's new owner, but, he knew it would be soon, after all, it was nearly 9 o'clock. He got up and made himself some tea, hoping to drown out Eren's meowing and crying, though he knew it was selfish. 

Eren would poke his head out every once in a while, eyes red and puffy and tear stains going down his little cheeks, and he would quickly pull himself back in the bathroom when he locked eye contact with Levi, doing this about every ten minutes or so as Levi drank his tea. Eren looked as though he wanted to come out and be with Levi, but he was too hurt to do so. He still didn't understand why Levi didn't want him anymore.

Levi had rescued him and cared for him, given him everything nobody ever had before. He thought Levi cared about him, like how Eren cared about the older. He looked up to Levi, saw him as his everything. It was hard to know Levi didn't feel the same. 

Finally, there was a knock at the front door. Eren froze from where he was in the bathroom and Levi looked up from his tea. 

"Levi, it's me," Erwin called, and Levi lowered his head, dread filling him.

"Coming," Levi murmured, though he doubted Erwin could even hear him. The man set down his tea, standing up on shaky legs and walking over to the bathroom, knocking on the door. "Eren, you've got to come out now."

"No, Levy!" Eren sobbed and Levi sighed, turning the handle and opening the door to the bathroom. He looked around only for a second before seeing Eren's silhouette behind the slightly translucent shower curtain. Levi made slow strides over to the boy and he heard Eren's breath hitch as Levi gently pulled back the curtain and kneeled down. 

"You need to find a better hiding spot next time, kid..." Levi murmured jokingly, though then he remembered there  **wouldn't** be a next time. Eren let out little sniffles, shaking his head.

"Levy, don make Eren go," the kitten sobbed, and Levi reached out, hesitantly taking Eren's tiny hands in his own, larger ones. 

"I know, kid. I don't want you to go either, but I have to. I already told you I'm just...I just can't, Erebear," Levi whispered, shaking his head. 

"I wan be Levy's bear," Eren sobbed, wiping at his eyes and nose, ears flat against his head. 

"C'mere," Levi murmured, picking Eren up and setting him on his knee, hugging him close. "You will be. You'll just go somewhere a lot better than here, alright?" Maybe he would even ask Erwin if he could visit Eren. 

Eren only sobbed in reply and Levi stood up with the boy, Eren's legs immediately wrapping around the older's torso as he clung to him. Levi walked toward the door, bending down and picking up Eren's hat, setting it on the boy before opening the door. He was met with Erwin's bright blue eyes, and an unfamiliar pair of hazel eyes. 

"Levi," said Erwin, nodding in greeting, and Levi nodded back. "This is Mr. G. Jaeger," said Erwin, gesturing to the man, and the man shook out his hand.

Levi took it, giving it a firm shake, trying to keep himself from crushing the man's hand. "You can call me Grisha, Captain Levi. It's good to meet you. And who's the little guy?" Grisha asked, though he obviously already knew. 

"Eren...Say hello to Mr. Jaeger.." Levi murmured, and Eren slowly pulled his face out of Levi's neck, glancing at the man and then whining, putting his face back in Levi's neck. The man was wearing a suit, but it was a bit ragged, and he had scruff on his face that was only slightly less greasy than his long, black hair.

"Oh? He's a shy one, ain't he?" Grisha chuckled, looking at Erwin, and Erwin gave a fake smile, unsure what to say. "He come'n with all the stuff, right?" Grisha asked, and Levi nodded slowly. 

"You have the means to take care of him, right?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow, the other lowering menacingly.

"Sure do, got the food and them cages and everything, he ain't my first," Grisha said, nodding, and Levi felt his grip tighten on Eren slightly. He did not like this. "Why don't you lemme hold him so I can see how pretty he is?"

Levi hesitated, just glaring at the man. He smelled like fucking alcohol and cigars. Where did Erwin even find this guy?

"I don't bite, I'll take real good care of him," Grisha said, holding out his arms and Erwin glared at Levi, nodding. Levi forced himself to pry Eren away from his body, holding him out so the man could take him. Eren was crying harder now, but not his angry crying like before. He looked absolutely terrified. 

Levi just watched as Grisha took Eren out of his arms, the kitten shaking and mewing as Grisha held him against his chest. "There now, kitten, Daddy's gotcha," Grisha chuckled and Levi wanted to puke. He didn't trust this guy, and he didn't think he was safe for Eren. Maybe he was just being paranoid, but the way the man was speaking just had Levi on edge. 

"Such pretty eyes, eh?" Grisha chuckled, tossing Eren a bit in his arms and Eren cried harder. 

"Don't do that," Levi couldn't help snapping. "He's fragile." He knew Eren wasn't, and he'd bounced Eren in his arms like that and made the kitten giggle many times before. But Eren obviously didn't like it when Grisha did it and in all honesty, Levi didn't even want Grisha holding  _his_ neko, let alone trying to play games with him. 

"I know more'n you probably think, I know what I'm doing," Grisha defended. "Just get me his stuff."

Erwin gave Levi a look of warning not to punch this motherfucker right in his motherfucking face, and Levi just clenched his fists, turning around and stomping over to the bassinet he'd readied with the supplies Eren needed most, including his bear. He stomped back over like a child, holding the bassinet. "This is what he needs most. I'll have the rest sent to you," Levi snapped. 

"He don't need no toys or nothin," Grisha replied. "He won't need any. We'll have lots of fun by ourselves. Right, kitten?" Grisha asked and Eren shook his head. 

"Levy," Eren sobbed into Grisha's shoulder, shaking his head. 

"I don't like you sayin' other men's names now," Grisha chuckled, and Levi's fists clenched even tighter.  _What a fucking perv._

"You need to hand feed him his bottle five times a day, and he needs his bear. He can't have any solid foods yet except mashed fruits, and you have to make sure he wears a hat when it's cold," Levi spat out, running a hand through his hair. "Don't tell me what he needs or doesn't need when you don't even know him."

"I know what he needs because he's mine. I don't care if you known him all his life, I own him now, I'll do what I want with him. He's just a damn cat anyway, don't want him for nothin' except being my toy," Grisha replied, straightening his round glasses.

"He's not a damn cat and he's  _not_ fucking yours," Levi suddenly snapped, yanking Eren out of Grisha's arms and Eren yelped in surprise as Levi pulled him against his chest. 

" **Levi** ," Erwin growled. 

"Did you just fucking hear what he said?" Levi snapped at Erwin.

"I was just jokin', you don't need to take no offense," Grisha defended, furrowing his brows. "Give him back, now."

"You were not fucking joking, you shit stain," Levi snapped. "Get out."

"Levi, we need someone to take Eren," said Erwin. "Just give him to him."

"The only person taking Eren anywhere is  **me** ," Levi said firmly. "He's mine, I changed my mind. Now get out," Levi snapped. 

"Listen here, you already gave him to me," said Grisha, taking a step forward and looking down at the shorter male. "He's legally mine now."

"He didn't leave my room. All I allowed you to do was hold him, and I even regret that," Levi snapped. "He's mine, and there's no changing my mind."

"Listen here, you-" Grisha growled, taking another step forward and reaching toward Eren, and Levi slapped the man's hand away harshly. 

"I said get the fuck out! Don't touch him with your filthy hands," Levi snapped, and Grisha opened his mouth to reply, but Erwin spoke up.

"Mr. Jaeger, let's just give him time to cool down," Erwin spoke, putting a firm hand on the man's shoulder and when he didn't move, Erwin yanked him back a bit. Grisha snapped out of it, taking a few steps back before turning around and storming out. 

"Take care of him, Erwin," Levi demanded. 

"I will," said Erwin, nodding. At least the man had come to his senses about this Jaeger guy. He walked out after Grisha, closing the door behind him, and Levi finally took a deep breath of relief, walking over to the bed and plopping down, Eren still clinging to him. 

"Hey," Levi whispered, looking down at Eren. "Look up, look at me," Levi asked of the kitten. Eren hesitated before looking up at Levi with teary eyes. "He's not taking you, I won't let him. You're never leaving me, Eren, not until the day you want to."

"I stay- Levy?" Eren sniffed, hiccuping in between words. 

"Yeah, you'll stay with me, Erebear," Levi whispered. "I'm...I'm sorry. For doing that to you, kid. I won't let it happen again..." Levi promised. Was he really going to do this, keep Eren forever? He had to. He couldn't give Eren away, he just couldn't. The risk of Eren ending up with someone as creepy as Grisha was too high. Levi couldn't bear to think of that. He just cared too much. 

"I no go away?" Eren asked. 

"No, you don't have to go away," Levi whispered, burying his face in the soft, chestnut hair. "I promise, kid."

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay!! Crisis averted. Levy x Erebear forever <3
> 
> Eren's outfit -https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/20/85/70/2085702f1e6c03d3578cb198c6b3e994.jpg


	6. The Other Kitten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo I feel like this chapter is really weirdly written and it's really short, I'm sorry, guys. I just didn't really know how to introduce Armin, so this was all I had. But do not fear! Next week's chapter will be very long to make up for it, and oh boy guys, get ready for an angst ride. muahaha

Banging. Banging was all Levi heard. The walls had been Breeched, hadn't they?

"Levi," Erwin called, and Levi's eyes snapped open. He had to blink a few times to clear his vision, but eventually, all he could make out was a face directly in front of his. Levi jumped, eyes widening.

"Jesus Christ-" the captain stammered, and Eren gasped, backing away from Levi's face. "Eren-"

"Levi, open up," Erwin's voice called, and there was more banging.

"Levy, kno knock," Eren said, pointing to the door.

"Yeah, knock knock," Levi murmured tiredly, rubbing at his eyes and lifting Eren off his chest and into his arms as he stood up. He strode to the door, opening it just before Erwin could knock again. "Jesus, Erwin, haven't you ever heard of sleeping?" Levi asked.

"I couldn't get much. Anyway, that's not important," Erwin said. "It's well past waking time, I assumed you'd be up."

"Well last night was kind of rough.." Levi murmured irritatedly. "Since you decided to bring that creep here."

"I didn't know he was a creep, alright?" Erwin defended, furrowing his large eyebrows

"There's no way you couldn't have guessed," Levi snapped. "Could you imagine if I had given Eren to that guy?"

"Levi, I wouldn't let that happen..." Erwin murmured.

"Yeah, right. I hope that bastard doesn't have any more nekos," Levi snorted.

"Actually, he does.." Erwin murmured. "Or did."

"What do you mean by that?" Levi asked monotonously.

"He had one...he doesn't anymore.." Erwin murmured. "I bought it off him."

"You what?" Levi asked, narrow eyes widening. "Erwin- what did you do?"

"You were right, a creep like that shouldn't have nekos.." Erwin murmured. "When he told me he had one, I told him I'd buy it."

"What are you going to do with it?" Levi asked, shaking his head. "Erwin.."

"I'm going to keep it," said Erwin. "I've decided I want one."

"Erwin, you can't just-" Levi cut off, shaking his head. "You can't just-do that-do you know how hard this is, taking care of a neko?"

"You did it, Levi, you can't be a hypocrite," Erwin pointed out. "And it's not your decision, it's mine, and I've already decided **I want it**."

"Erwin, I didn't just buy Eren on a whim because I was lonely, I fucking found him orphaned in the rubble of his house," said Levi. "I'm keeping him because I don't trust anyone else to keep him safe." It was partly true, but honestly, Levi wasn't only keeping Eren for Eren's sake. He would miss him too much if he wasn't here with him. 

"You didn't have to take Eren in, but you did to save him. Now I'm taking in this other neko," Erwin spoke. "I can't leave him with a creep like that, Levi, you of all people shouldn't be objecting this." 

"I'm not objecting, Erwin, I just don't think you know what you're getting yourself int-" Levi tried to say, but was cut off by yelling. 

"Levi!!" Hanji's voice filtered down the hallway, loud and excited, like usual. 

"What is it now.." Levi grumbled under his breath. 

"Look! Look what Erwin got!" She squealed, finally coming into view, and she was holding a little bundle in her arms. Levi's gaze snapped back to Erwin.

"I've had him since last night," Erwin admitted. "I let Hanji feed him breakfast and told her to bring him here once she was done."

"You're going to traumatize it, leaving it alone with Hanji like that," Levi grumbled.

"Levi, look, now Eren has a friend," Hanji squealed breathlessly as she finally arrived next to Erwin, the bundle in her arms still hidden by the blue blanket wrapped around it. Levi raised an eyebrow, looking at the bundle. 

"He's shy.." said Erwin, taking the neko from Hanji, holding him against his chest. The kitten let out a tiny mew, and Erwin slowly lowered the blanket, revealing silky blonde hair and tan ears that twitched in curiosity. "It's alright. This is Captain Levi and his neko, Eren.." Erwin murmured quietly to the kitten in reassurance. The neko boy slowly turned his head, revealing his round, cherub face and bright blue eyes. 

"Isn't he cute?" Hanji asked, and Levi nodded slowly.

"Levi, this is Armin. Armin, this is Captain Levi. Say hello," Erwin encouraged the kitten. Armin only let out a tiny meow, looking from Levi to Eren. 

He really was a cute little guy, and just about Eren's age, too. Levi looked down at Eren, who's ears were flattened against his chestnut brown hair, brows furrowed in confusion. "Levy.." Eren mumbled, cocking his head from side to side. "Levy is'a kiddy," said Eren pointing at Armin. Armin's eyes widened slightly and he gasped, burying his face in Erwin's chest when Eren pointed at him. 

"Yeah, he's a kitty, just like you," Levi assured him. He knew this would be a challenge for Erwin, but honestly, Levi had been quite worried about Eren being lonely without having anyone here his age. Maybe this would be good for the kitten, and maybe this would be good for Erwin. "Can you say hello to Armin?" 

"I go arms," Eren confirmed, pointing at his arm, and Levi let out a snort that made both Erwin and Hanji look up in surprise.

"No, kid, his name is Armin. Say hello to him," said Levi.

"Hi Armies," Eren murmured, and Armin slowly turned his face out of Erwin's chest to look back at Eren again. 

"Why don't we take them inside so they can get to know each other?" Erwin suggested, and Levi nodded. He opened the door a bit more so Erwin could step all the way in, Hanji behind him, squirming excitedly. 

"I've never seen two nekos interact before," she admitted.

"Oi, it's just like if two children were to meet. There's really no difference, four eyes," Levi murmured, rolling his eyes. "You get excited over the dumbest things." Although, Levi wouldn't admit that he was a bit excited to see how Eren would interact with another kitten as well. He walked over to the couch, sitting down and setting Eren on the carpet, and Erwin followed suit, setting Armin a couple feet away from Eren. Armin looked at Erwin nervously, then back at Eren. 

"You ear is messed," Armin whispered quietly, looking at Eren. 

Eren just cocked his head back and forth, and Levi had to admit to himself that Eren looked pretty damn cute while thinking. 

"Levy," Eren whined, looking at Levi, nibbling on the tip of his tail nervously. He obviously didn't understand what Armin was talking about, after all, Eren was too young to really understand one of his ears looked different. Levi could tell already that Armin was an odd kitten, a bit more intelligent than most, especially for his age. 

"It's alright, Eren. Why don't you show Armin your toys?" Levi suggested. Eren stood up slowly, wobbling slightly and taking tiny steps over to Armin. Armin didn't stand up, just looking Eren over. 

"You dress pretty," Armin said quietly, but a bit louder than the last time he'd spoke. 

Eren looked at Armin before giggling, looking back at Levi excitedly. "He nice, he nice," Eren squealed. "Up, Armies."

"I no walk," Armin replied quietly, and Eren shook his head. 

"You walk," Eren demanded, taking Armin's hands, and the blonde's eyes widened in surprise. Eren yanked on Armin's hands, but instead of pulling the blonde up, Eren just tumbled down on top of him. 

The three adults froze, expecting at least one of the kittens to cry, but they both burst out in giggles, twisting and crawling all over each other on the carpet.

"What the-" Erwin murmured. 

"That is the cutest thing I've ever seen," Hanji whispered, putting her face in her hands. Eren kept trying to pull Armin up and eventually succeeded, making the blonde take a few wobbly steps before they'd both crash down again on the carpet, laughing hysterically. Levi'd never even heard Eren laugh so hard before, not even when he tickled him. 

"They...Like each other.." Levi murmured, raising an eyebrow. "That was...fast.." 

"I'm sure they haven't met any other nekos their age before, they're probably excited," Hanji pointed out, watching the two stumbling, tumbling, and giggling kittens as Eren finally managed to drag Armin over to the box of toys that Eren had gotten from Hanji's friend, along with the clothing. Eren pulled out his letter blocks, tossing them on the carpet and Armin looked at them in awe. 

"I doubt he's ever had toys before," Erwin murmured, watching Armin with interest as the little kitten began picking up blocks and stacking them. 

"Mh. Eren hadn't either when I first found him," Levi mumbled.

Levi watched as the two kittens squeezed together on the carpet, stacking blocks together and then knocking them down, making both of them giggle, and every once in a while, one of them would lose their balance and topple over from where they were sitting, which in turn would just make them laugh harder. Levi had no clue what was so funny about that, but honestly, if Erwin and Hanji weren't there, he'd probably be laughing as well. The kittens seemed like they'd known each other all their lives, though they'd only met moments ago. Armin was smart and kind, and Eren stubborn and adventurous. They honestly fit like two peas in a pod, and it worried Levi a bit. What if Erwin decided he didn't want to keep Armin?

"You're sure you're keeping him, right?" Levi asked, and Erwin nodded. "You're really sure?"

"Yes, Levi, I don't understand why you think I wouldn't," Erwin grumbled. 

"Because nekos are hard to take care of, Erwin, they're like human babies," Levi defended. 

"What? Levi, Armin's a sweetheart, he honestly hasn't given me any trouble at all."

"Me either," Hanji joined in. 

"What?" Levi asked. "He didn't crawl all over you at night or drink your tea, then spit the tea in your cup?" Levi asked. 

"What? No, why would he?" Erwin chuckled heartily. 

"Did he splash you in the bath?" Levi asked. 

"No, I put bubbles in and he was perfectly fine, I think he liked it, even," Erwin said thoughtfully. Bubbles. Why hadn't Levi thought of that?

"You read that in a book, right?" Levi guessed, but Erwin shook his head. 

"No, I just did what I felt was right. That's honestly what I've been doing this whole time, and it's not as hard as I thought it would be. Taking him to work with me will be a bit tricky, but now he'll have Eren to play with to keep him busy," said Erwin, and Levi huffed. Why was Erwin suddenly an expert on nekos? Levi should know more than him, a hundred times more, probably. Why didn't he think to put bubbles in the bath? Why didn't he have the instinct Erwin had? 

"So you're telling me you just have natural instincts for taking care of these things? Yeah, right," Levi snorted.

"That's how I feel too, Levi. The way I interact with Armin and Eren isn't anything from a book, it's just my natural instinct to care for them," said Hanji, and Levi's frown deepened. Of course, he had to have the worst instinct of the three of them, yet the most stubborn neko. "You know, I'm thinking about getting a neko for myself as well.." Hanji murmured. "Of course, not until a bit later, I'm working on a  very important project right now. But they're too cute," said Hanji, smiling at the two nekos playing, and Levi just rolled his eyes. This was probably the one case he would ever be jealous of Hanji and Erwin in his whole entire life. What about dick size, you ask? No, Levi beat Erwin in that category, as well. But that wasn't even that important. Okay, it was important, but having natural instincts for caring for things would be helpful as well. Especially considering all the shit Erwin had done in the past week that Levi had gotten Eren, Levi was starting to think Erwin didn't even have a heart. 

"I'll figure things out with Armin, no matter what. He's extremely bright, and very loving," said Erwin. "Although, I don't have many clothes for him." 

 "I'll give you some of Eren's clothes; we got a lot from Hanji, and there are some things that are too small. Armin looks like he could fit into some of it," said Levi, and Erwin nodded in thanks. Armin looked like he was quite a bit behind Eren in developing physically, but mentally, the kid seemed to have everything all figured out. He arranged his blocks so they spelled out the word 'cat.' 

"Good job, Armin," Erwin encouraged from the couch, making the kitten smile, and Eren looked over in confusion. All Eren saw were letters lined up. Even he could do that, why was Erwin praising Armin about it? Eren wanted praise from Levi, too. The brunette plopped down on the carpet, putting a few blocks together. They spelled out 'Utzsd.' 

"Ah?" Eren asked, looking up at Levi. 

"Hm? No, Eren, that's not a word," said Levi, shaking his head, and Eren frowned. "You don't know how to spell yet, kid."

Eren looked back over at Armin's blocks and the way Erwin watched Armin with pride. Eren pointed at Armin's blocks, waving his little hand and letting out whines. 

"What?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Levy-hih-Armies-" Eren whined, bouncing in his spot in agitation, bottom lip quivering as tears threatened to spill over.

"Hey, hey," Levi murmured, quickly standing up, arriving at the kitten in only a few strides. He kneeled down, picking Eren up and setting him on his knee."What's wrong with you?"

"I d-don wan-Armies ta-ta Levy," Eren sniffed. rubbing at his eyes. 

"You don't want him to what? Take me?" Levi murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Why would he?"

"He-pu-his blog in the-make happy-Ewin," Eren choked out. 

"Kid, I have no idea what you're on about," Levi murmured, sighing.

"He said he put his blocks in a way that made Erwin happy," Hanji guessed, shrugging. "Now he's worried you'll like Armin better than him."

"How the hell did you understand that?" Levi asked, and Hanji just shrugged again. "Kid..." Levi murmured, sighing. "Just because you can't spell doesn't mean I won't want you anymore. You'll learn to spell when you get older, and hell, even if you never learned to spell, I wouldn't just ditch you for some other kitten. You think I'm that mean of an old man?" Levi asked jokingly, but his voice stayed monotone, like usual, and his face was set with his signature frown. 

"Y-yes-" Eren sniffed. 

"I'm a mean man sometimes, alright? But not to you, I wouldn't do that. You're my little bear.." Levi murmured the last part quietly so only Eren could hear.

"You-you forgo ole man," Eren whispered back, and Levi playfully tapped the back of Eren's head. 

"Oi, Who do you think you're talking to?" Levi asked, and Eren giggled, burying his face in Levi's neck. Levi stood up with the boy in his arms, turning to Erwin and Hanji. "I don't even want to hear you make fun of me, so just leave now," Levi growled at them before they could laugh, and so they quickly stood up. Erwin walked over and picked up Armin, swinging him on his hip. 

"Bye bye Armies," Eren whispered, and Armin waved at him as Erwin carried him toward the door. 

"I'll come by later to pick up those clothes," Erwin reminded, and Levi nodded, walking to the door to close it after Hanji and Erwin had stepped out. 

Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair and plopping down on his bed, lying back, and Eren crawled into his usual spot lying on Levi's chest, face only inches away from the older as he observed him carefully.

"Levy no want Armies?" Eren asked to make sure. 

"No. Armin is a very nice kitten, but Levy-I mean Levi- I mean I..I want Eren, Eren's my little bear," Levi assured the kitten, wrapping his arms around the boy. 

"Levy's bear," Eren confirmed. "Levy is Muma?"

"Uh." Levi looked at Eren. "No. I'm not your mom.." 

"Muma," Eren repeated. 

"No-you...your mom is-" Levi stammered, but he obviously couldn't finish the sentence. It would be a bit cruel to say 'Your mom is dead," to a toddler. "Not here...You remember your mom, yeah? You lived with her before you lived with me..." Levi mumbled. 

"Oh." Eren's ears twitched. "Levy daddy." 

"I-" Levi's eyes widened. "No-that- no no.." Levi murmured, a slight red tint to his pale cheeks. Fuck, that was even worse. "No." 

"Yes," Eren giggled. "Daddy."

"No-you know what, Muma is fine, Levi is Muma now," Levi forced himself to say because  _god._ Anything but  **Daddy.**


	7. The Ice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wheewwww..Oh boy..Here we go guys. I promised you angst, and now I deliver. Muahahaha! Don't worry though, it's not THAT bad. Anyway, I'm pretty proud of myself for updating on time every Monday so far! Plus, how was your valentines day? I had a lot of fun and I got a stuffed bear and it reminded me of Erebear <3
> 
> Also, if you have any ideas or requests for this fic, let me know! I'm always open to ideas <3 Love you guys and I hope you enjoy this chapter, I worked really hard on it.

The week that Levi had Eren slowly turned into several weeks, and several weeks turned into a month. Over that period of time, Levi was not expecting the amount of growth Eren went through both physically and mentally. Though the kitten was still barely to Levi's knees, he had grown a few inches and didn't fit in a lot of the clothes he had fit into before. No wonder nekos needed so much clothing. And, he was talking a lot more. He had begun to speak sentences to Levi, and Levi had even begun to teach Eren how to spell and read. The kitten would get frustrated with it fairly quick, though, so Levi had to be patient with him. Eren was much more interested in exploring and jumping around, playing with anything he could find, especially if it got him all dirty. 

Armin, on the other hand, was interested in learning by the books and learning how to write his letters even though he was still quite young. He and Erwin were honestly a perfect match, and now that Armin could walk, Eren took the blonde on his mischievous little adventures as well. Levi had doubted Erwin's...caretaker abilities, at first, but now he saw that Erwin had made the right decision. Plus, Armin was quite a lot easier to take care of than Eren..

"Erebear, don't do that," Levi scolded, reaching for the kitten jumping, hopping, and stomping all over the bed, giggling uncontrollably. "It's time to go to work now, you know that," Levi sighed impatiently. Having Eren at work with him was...Tough, to say the least. But, he couldn't leave Eren alone and even if he could, he wouldn't want to. Levi finally managed to hook an arm around the kitten's waist, pulling him off the bed. 

"You gotted me, Levy!" Eren said excitedly. 

"I don't know why you still call me that if you can pronounce my name.." Levi murmured. He didn't want to admit that it was utterly adorable. Ugh, he was going soft, wasn't he? "And I don't get how you can be so rambunctious this early in the morning. Come on, let's get you bundled up, it's cold out," said Levi. "You can play in the snow with Armin today while Erwin and I work, would you like that?" Levi asked, running a hand through Eren's messy hair to try and tame it before scratching behind the kitten's ears. 

"Yes!" Eren shouted enthusiastically, bouncing up and down in Levi's arms. Levi set the kitten down, looking at him. "Now, go get me your snow suit so I can help you put it on, alright?" He asked, and Eren nodded eagerly, quickly bouncing toward the closet. He stood on his toes to reach the doorknob, opening it up and digging out his snowsuit, hat, and scarf, dragging the bulky items over to Levi and putting them by the captain's feet as the older man sat down on the bed. 

"Here go!" Eren shouted. 

"Thank you, Bear," said Levi, scratching underneath Eren's chin and making him purr. Levi unzipped the pink, full body snowsuit and held it open so Eren could clumsily step into it. He pulled it up and helped the kitten get his tiny arms through, then zipped it up to the kitten's chin. "Hat please, nurse Erebear" Levi requested. 

"Hat, dog-ter Levy," Eren said, picking the hat up and placing it in Levi's hand. Levi put the little pink hat with a white pom pom on Eren's head and tied the string, then pulled the hat down over Eren's eyes, making the kitten giggle. 

"Scarf, nurse Erebear," Levi requested and Eren giggled, feeling around with his hands that were covered by the built in mittens of his little snowsuit until he found the scarf, picking it up off the floor and handing it to Levi so he could wrap it around the boy's neck and chin. "Boots, nurse Erebear."

Eren's mouth formed a little 'o' shape before he scurried off, stumbling and bumping into things with his covered eyes, making him giggle until he found the closet again, where he felt around until he found his tiny, white winter boots, managing to get them to Levi. Levi sat the kitten down on the floor and slipped the boots on him, then helped Eren up. He finally pulled up the hat so Eren could see again. "Thank you, nurse." 

"You Welcome," Eren replied, standing on his tippy toes to kiss Levi's cheek. Levi cleared his throat, rubbing his forehead and hoping his cheeks weren't red as he picked Eren up again and set him on his hip, pulling Eren's hood over his hatted head, then sneaking a little peck to Eren's forehead. He'd never done anything like that before, but...It felt nice. And Eren loved it. It made him feel loved, really. Levi wasn't the greatest at showing affection, so when he did, Eren couldn't get enough. The boy rubbed his cheek along Levi's, closing his eyes and purring before licking Levi's chin. 

"Ew, you're such a little nasty," Levi chuckled. Eren mewed in reply and giggled, still trying to lick Levi's face. "Come on, we're already late." Levi never used to be late to work, but now that he had Eren, he almost never got there on time. But nobody really minded, since everyone around the base loved Eren, especially Levi's squad. Petra and Hanji always were spoiling Eren and trying to dress him up or steal him away, and Gunther and Erd were always playing games with the little kitten. Aluo...Well, let's just say he was a bit jealous that Eren was always taking up Levi's time and attention, but he still cared for the kitten even though he wouldn't admit it. 

Levi headed out the door, walking down the halls. Like usual, Eren waved at every single person they passed by, and every single person waved back. Though Eren could be a brat sometimes..alright, most of the time..He was really very sweet and kind hearted, and outgoing. He seemed determined to befriend every soldier in the base. Levi finally made his way outside, a gust of cold wind hitting him as he trudged into the snow. It was cold, but luckily not too cold for Eren to play in the snow, which it had been lately. 

"I wan play in da snow, Levy," Eren demanded, wiggling in Levi's arms. 

"Hold on just a minute, Little Bear," Levi huffed, trudging through the snow toward the stables until he reached them. He set Eren down in the snow so the little kitten could play while Levi saddled up his horse. Eren kicked around snow and threw it up in the air, and even began eating it before Levi scolded him and told him snow was dirty and not to eat it, so Eren immediately spit it out. Levi picked the boy up and mounted the horse with Eren in front of him, Levi holding on to the boy tightly as he clicked his tongue, pulling the reins and signaling for the horse to begin trotting forward. 

"Whe Armies?" Eren asked curiously, tilting his head up to look at the captain. 

"He's out in the training grounds with Erwin and the rest of my squad for some new winter 3DMG training practice, you can play with him when we get there," said Levi. He increased his horse's speed a bit, heading toward the woods where the training grounds were. After a few minutes or so, the others came into view. 

"Armies!" Eren yelled in excitement and Armin looked up from where he was playing in the snow in his pale blue snowsuit by Erwin's feet. He waved excitedly, stumbling to his feet. Once Levi was close enough, he dismounted his horse and tied it to a nearby tree, then set Eren down. Eren quickly waddled through the snow to get to Armin, tackling the tiny blonde and causing them to fall in the snow, laughing. 

"Easy now," Erwin chuckled. Eren got up and his cheeks and nose were red from the snow, little snowflakes in his brown mop of hair poking out from beneath his hat. 

"It's cold," Armin giggled, trying to sit up, but his snow suit was too bulky, so Eren helped pull him up. Levi finally caught up with them, boots crunching in the snow as he stopped in front of Erwin. 

"They really like the snow," Erwin chuckled, and Levi nodded. "So, show me the ideas you've got for winter training."

"Right. Eren, you and Armin go play over there, alright? Stay close, please, but stay out of the way. I don't want either of you getting hurt," said Levi.

"Yes, Levy," Eren said, nodding eagerly, and Levi pet the top of his head before walking away with Erwin. Eren and Armin held each other's mittened hands as they walked over to the clear area Levi told them to go, the two plopping down in the snow. "Armies, les build a snow kitty," Eren suggested. Armin nodded eagerly, and the two began packing snow into a messy pile, sticking pinecones in it for the ears, then acorns for the mouth, eyes, and nose. Eren took off his scarf and wrapped it around the snow kitty. "There."

"He's so pretty," said Armin, hugging the pile of snow. "Let's make a baby snow kitty so he won't be lonelied," Armin suggested, and so they began to get to work. 

"I feel like they get bigger every day, Petra chuckled as she watched the kittens. 

"Mh. They really do. They'll be full grown by next winter," Levi spoke. "Maybe even fall." 

"God, I'm not ready for that.." said Petra, shaking her head. Honestly, neither was Levi. 

"Alright, we need to work on using 3DMG in the snow and in our winter gear," Levi changed the subject.

"But Captain, we don't go outside the walls during winter," Erd pointed out.

"Oi, I'm not stupid, I know that. Even if our missions stop, snow won't stop the titans. And it definitely hasn't stopped the war. So, we need to learn how to use our gear more effectively in the snow," Levi explained, looking back at the kittens every few minutes to make sure they were alright, but once they began training, Levi was too absorbed in his work. 

The baby snow kitty was finally finished, and Armin wrapped his scarf around it. "He's pretty, too! Another one," said Armin, beginning to pile more snow. 

"No, Armies, I bored," Eren whined, flopping back into the snow. 

"Um..Snow ball fight?" Armin suggested, and Eren shook his head, sitting up again. 

"Still bored." 

"Um.." Armin tapped his chin. "We.."

"I wan to explore," Eren demanded, standing up and offering Armin his hands. "Come on, Armies."

"Eren, we're not 'upposed to be leavin," Armin whined in nervousness. 

"We won't go far away, Armies, it's okay," said Eren, and Armin reluctantly took Eren's hands, allowing the brunette to help him up. Eren held Armin's hand, leading him off into the woods, and none of the adults seemed to notice. 

They trudged through the snow, Eren stomping through it happily and giggling, and eventually Armin joined in, following Eren further and further away, forgetting about his unease. They saw lots of birds and squirrels, and Eren tried to chase one, but he fell in the snow, just giggling and trying to get up like a turtle stuck on its back. They finally came to a large, snow white field, untouched by anyone, the snow forming a perfect blanket. The two kittens looked at each other before smiling, beginning to run out into the perfect snow. "Armies, look!" Eren shouted, pointing at a shiny, frozen pond toward the middle of the field. 

"What's that?" Armin asked. Eren shrugged, taking Armin's hand again and pulling him toward the pond. Once they were a few feet away from it, Armin stopped abruptly. 

"Come on, Armies," Eren spoke, trying to tug his friend forward. 

"No, Eren, Thas water," Armin spoke. 

"No," said Eren, shaking his head. "S'not, it's shiny."

"It's hard water," Armin tried to explain, but he couldn't remember the name Erwin told him. "It's called mice, or something like that.." 

"It's not a mouse, it's shiny ground," Eren spoke. "I just go without you."

"Eren," Armin whined, wrapping his arms around himself as Eren let go of his hand and began marching toward the ice. "No don't, Erwin told me to stay away from that."

"Erwin not here," Eren replied, walking to the edge and slowly taking a step onto it, and he could see fish swimming below. His eyes widened in amazement as he placed his other foot down on it, beginning to shuffle out. "Armies, it's slippery," Eren giggled, slipping and sliding as he headed further out toward the middle. "Is fun, come on!" 

"No, Eren, come back.." Armin whined nervously. "I'll get Levi if you don't."

"Armies," Eren whined, shuffling out to the middle of the fairly wide pond. "Come on, Armies," he giggled, taking another step. There was a loud noise and the ice shifted, a crack forming from where Eren stood and within a second, Eren screamed before he was plunged into the icy water below. 

"Eren!" Armin screamed, waiting for Eren to come up from the hole he had fallen through. 

Eren kicked as hard as he could, eyes squeezed shut as he forced himself to the surface, his wet gear weighing him down. And, of course, he didn't know how to swim. He took a deep breath, coughing as he inhaled water, trying to open his eyes and grab at the ice around the hole, but it kept breaking away when Eren tried to grab onto it. "Arm-!" the kitten screamed, letting out a sob and coughing as he inhaled more water, unable to keep himself afloat. 

Armin stood frozen in shock, breathing heavy. He didn't know what to do. He knew this was a bad idea, he knew it. 

"Lev-" Eren choked out, gasping and trying to kick his legs. Every breath he took burned with water and he was already chilled to the bone, lips blue and shaking, muscles stiff. 

"I-Eren, stay dere!" Armin yelled, turning around and beginning to run away as fast as he could, but he couldn't go very fast because of his bulky snow suit and the thick snow covering the ground. The kitten ran as fast as he could, through the woods, heading back toward where they came from. 

Eren sobbed, screaming out and coughing up water, opening his eyes and looking to see Armin was gone before he found himself submerged completely again. "Levy!" The boy sobbed, thrashing and trying to climb out, but he was just exhausting himself further and found himself getting less and less air, coming above water only about every 30 seconds. He couldn't feel his tail, his hands or his feet, or his ears, and he could barely kick his legs anymore. It was so cold. So, so cold. 

Armin was crying for Erwin as he ran through the woods, taking about a solid five or six minutes before Erwin and the rest came into view. "Erwin!" Armin sobbed, running out of the woods with open arms. 

"Armin?" Erwin asked, landing his 3DMG and quickly rushing to the boy, picking him up into his arms and holding him close. "Armin, what's the matter?" He asked and Armin shook his head.

Levi landed as well, followed by the others. He looked around, but there was no sight of Eren following Armin. "Armin, where's Eren?" Levi snapped, and Armin just pointed in the direction of the woods from where he came. "What happened? Is Eren alright?"

"H-he-He went on the-mice and I told him notta- and he-fell down-in the water-" Armin sobbed. 

"Water?" Erwin asked, but before he could even finish the word, Levi was sprinting toward the direction Armin pointed to. "Levi, wait!"

"Eren!" Levi yelled, running into the woods as fast as he could, Erwin and the others following. Armin was bouncing in Erwin's arms as he ran, the scared kitten clinging to him. 

"Eren!" Levi yelled again as he sprinted through the woods, but there was no sign of the kitten. Armin had said he fell down. Where was he? Levi knew the training grounds by heart. Just on the other side of the woods was a field, and a pond...No. No. Water...That's what Armin was talking about. Eren was drowning. Levi forced himself to run faster, completely forgetting about his 3DMG, too panicked to do anything but run, until he finally came out on the other side of the woods, panting like a dog. His eyes scanned the field before he spotted the pond, and a slight thrashing toward the middle. Eren.

Levi dashed toward it as fast as he could, and Eren came into clearer view. He could hear the kitten now as well. He was choking and crying, screaming at the top of his lungs, but he was obviously tired. Levi had no clue how the kitten had even managed this long, though, he didn't know exactly how long Eren had been in the water. Once Levi stopped at the edge of the pond, Eren had gone under again. And he hadn't come back up. Now that Levi thought of it, it was more like a small lake than a pond. Eren was at least twenty feet out, toward the very middle. "Eren!"

Levi quickly pulled his emergency release on his 3DMG, tossing it aside and running out onto the ice, but it immediately broke under his weight and he found himself waist deep in the water. He was much heavier than Eren, after all. If the weight couldn't hold Eren, it most definitely couldn't hold Levi. "Shit," Levi hissed, beginning to hit and kick the ice away so he could force his way through it until finally he couldn't touch the ground below anymore, so he was hitting at the ice with his hands as he swam, breaking it away piece by piece, agonizingly slowly. And in all that time, Eren still hadn't come up.

"Captain, wait! It's dangerous!" Petra yelled as she and the others had finally caught up, all of them not being able to even come close to Levi's running speed. Levi wanted to scream at her to shut the fuck up, but he was too focused on the task at hand. 

"Eren!" Levi yelled again, angrily hitting at the ice with bright red, shaking hands as he made his way closer and closer to the kitten, now only about five feet away, but he couldn't even see Eren anymore. Fuck. Fuck. What if he didn't get there in time? What if he was too late already? No. Levi couldn't think about those things. He couldn't think about losing Eren. His own body was freezing cold and shaking, even after just a few minutes in the water. He could't even imagine how cold Eren would be. He finally broke the last chunk of ice, reaching the hole Eren had fallen through, but he couldn't see the kitten anywhere. He took a breath, going under.

"Captain!" Erd yelled. The icy water chilled Levi to the bone, and it was hard to force himself to stay under, but he did. He wouldn't come back up without Eren. He forced his eyes open, but he couldn't see much. It was almost completely black beneath the ice, but the small amount of sunlight shining through the ice made it clear enough for him to see a figure a few feet away, trapped beneath the ice. Eren. He wasn't moving, he wasn't trying to swim, he was just floating there like a rag doll. Levi kicked his legs, grabbing Eren's arm and pulling him toward him, against his chest before he began hitting at the ice above them to break through, only having to hit it a couple times before he broke through to the surface, icy air whipping at his chilled cheeks. Levi coughed and took a deep breath, holding Eren above the water as much as he could, the kitten completely limp, so Levi had a hard time keeping the boy's head up. 

"Erd, go fetch the Captain's horse. Now!" Erwin snapped, and Erd ran off. Levi hit at the ice separating him from the trail he'd made until he was through, and he began swimming as fast as he could toward land, which wasn't very fast considering Levi felt like he was frozen, he was carrying Eren, and he wasn't the best swimmer in the first place. "Levi, come on!"

"Shut the hell up!" Levi snapped at Erwin out of anger and worry, brows furrowed in concentration. Erwin handed Armin to Petra and ran into the water himself once Levi neared, helping to pull the man to shore. Once Levi was out, kneeled in the snow, he took a deep breath of relief. But, his relief was short lived. 

"Levi, set him down, quickly," Erwin instructed, and Levi pulled Eren away from his chest to lay him on his back in the snow. The boy was a grayish, pale blue color, his lips purple. He wasn't moving. He wasn't  _breathing._

"Eren," Levi said, voice cracking, and he shook the boy gently. But he was completely cold and limp. "Eren, no. Don't do this."

"Get his clothes off, hurry," Gunther said, and Erwin's hands began undoing the buttons of Eren's soaking wet snowsuit, but Levi slapped them away, his own hands taking their place even though he was shaking like a mad man. He managed to undo all the buttons and picked Eren up as Erwin and Gunther helped Levi remove the snowsuit, leaving the boy in his white t-shirt and pink overalls, what Levi had dressed him in this morning. Those too, were completely soaked. 

"We need to get the wet clothes off, he'll freeze!" Petra yelled, holding Armin close. 

"He's already frozen! And he's not fucking breathing!" Levi yelled. Getting the snowsuit off had been his first priority so he could have better access to the kitten to get him breathing again. He tilted Eren's head up and opened his mouth, leaning down to press his ear against the boy's chest, breathing heavy as he listened for a heartbeat. 

"Is there a heartbeat?" Erwin asked frantically, and Levi shushed him as he listened carefully before he heard a faint thumping. 

"It's faint," Levi said breathlessly as he pulled away, bringing one hand to gently cup Eren's chin, while the other pinched the kitten's nose. He leaned down, pressing his lips to Eren's as he breathed air into the kitten's lungs, then pulled away to begin pressing on his chest roughly as he did compressions. He hissed his counts between gritted teeth, counting to thirty before he moved his hands back to Eren's face, leaning down to give two large breaths of air. "Fuck. Come on, Eren, come on," Levi whispered as he began compressions again on the kitten's limp body. Fuck. He wasn't going to make it. No, Levi couldn't just give up. He wouldn't accept that. He wouldn't let Eren die. He did another set of CPR, then another, with still no results. Then a third, then a fourth. His arms were so tired, his breathing heavy, but he wouldn't let anyone else take over. This was  _ **his**_ kitten. Levi finished his fifth set of compressions and leaned down, pressing his lips against Eren's and breathing air in, and suddenly he felt the boy jerk slightly. 

Levi pulled away, eyes wide. Eren's purple lips opened and closed slightly before a small, wet cough escaped him. 

"Eren," Levi breathed frantically, pulling the still limp boy up and against his chest so he could tilt him downwards and pat his back, forcing another cough out of Eren, this time water coming up. "Shit." He continued patting Eren's back as the kitten coughed up more and more water before his coughing turned into quiet whines and weak sobs. 

Erd had just returned with Levi's horse, dismounting it and rushing over.

"Fuck, he's still frozen," Levi hissed. And Eren's breathing was still erratic and he seemed to be struggling. There was definitely still water in his lungs. Levi unzipped his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his bare chest, then tucked Eren against it, as he heard body heat was one of the best ways to keep someone else warm. 

"Captain, here," said Gunther. He untied his cape from around his neck, handing it to Levi, who wrapped it around Eren. Erd and the others quickly followed suit. 

"You've got to get him back to the base," said Aluo. 

"The infirmary can help. We've got to hurry," said Erwin, taking Armin back from Petra. Levi nodded and stood up on shaky legs, holding the cold bundle of capes tight against his chest. Eren had gone quiet again, aside from his abnormal breathing. 

Levi rushed to his horse and mounted it, Eren tightly against him, and he didn't even think about how cold he himself was. He could only think about Eren. "Hyah!" Levi ordered, snapping the reins of his horse, signaling it to charge forward. Levi tried to block Eren from the wind of the ride as much as he could, clutching the bundle against his chest. "Don't you dare quit on me, Eren, don't you dare," Levi said as he rushed his horse forward. "Just hang on. Please.." Levi had never begged for anything in his life, but this, his Eren, was the one exception.

He couldn't lose his Erebear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun...another cliffhanger. I think cliffhangers are my new thing, I like them a lot lol.
> 
> Eren's snowsuit -http://cdn.childrensalon.com/media/catalog/product/cache/0/image/1000x1000/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/i/lili-gaufrette-baby-girls-pink-snowsuit-with-mittens-bootees-103873-1fcfbc82befddcc8bc37db21e6fae3c9670d376a.jpg
> 
> Eren's hat and scarf -http://cdn.childrensalon.com/media/catalog/product/cache/0/image/1000x1000/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/a/nanos-baby-girls-knitted-pom-pom-hat-scarf-set-111969-107dc6497b89b09224243ac0d8a1865541cca931.jpg
> 
> Eren's overalls - http://s7ondemand1.scene7.com/is/image/Gymboree/140126528?$PRODMAINNEW$
> 
> Armin's snowsuit - http://www.themerrygoround.co.uk/images/_lib/absorba-baby-boys-snowsuit-with-fur-trim-sky-blue-3011984-0-1379073870000.jpg


	8. The I Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I doubt this chapter is actually any good, and there are a lot of mistakes. Plus, it's kinda short, but I've had a crazy week. I'll probably be moving and packing stuff this week to move into my new apartment, but I'll still try my best to get the update out on time! It's been 8 weeks so far of updating on time, so I don't want to break it. Tell me what you think of the chapter! <3

Levi felt like his horse just wouldn't go fast enough, like everything was slow motion. The composed, stoic captain of the Scouting Legion had finally shown a chink in his armor.

Eren let out another wet sounding cough, trying to snuggle himself closer to the warmth of Levi's chest. He tried to take a deep breath, but found himself unable to, only releasing a sob mixed with a cough instead. He was so cold and his chest hurt so badly, but he didn't know why. He felt like he was asleep, like this wasn't real.

Levi looked down at Eren again, pulling the capes of his comrades further over the boy's head to cover up everything but his pale face so he could be sure Eren was still breathing. Levi's own breath formed fog in the cold air as he panted, rushing his horse impatiently. Didn't his horse know this was a damn emergency? No, probably not..But Levi wasn't thinking about that.

Finally, the base came into view and Levi let out a breath, counting down the seconds until he was close enough to stop. He dug his heels in the horse's side to force her to a rough stop, practically jumping off her, stumbling a bit in the snow when he landed. He recovered his balance quickly, running toward the nearest door and bursting in. "Oi! You!" He barked at the nearest soldier walking by. "Go get a doctor from the infirmary, now! It's an emergency!" 

The soldier looked at Levi in surprise, eyes wide before they flicked down to the limp kitten bundled up in Levi's arms. "Y-yes, sir!" The soldier uttered quickly, saluting before bolting down the hallway. Levi cursed under his breath and kneeled on the floor, setting Eren down in front of him to unbutton his pink overalls and slide them off, then toss them to the side. They landed on the floor with a thumping sound, a puddle of water immediately forming around them. Levi then did the same thing with Eren's wet shirt. Eren let out another choked cough and tried to open his eyes and Levi shushed him comfortingly, taking the capes to begin frantically trying to rub Eren dry. He couldn't do much about the water in Eren's lungs since he wasn't a doctor, but he could do everything in his power to get the kitten warm and dry.

He rubbed at Eren's hair with a cape, then swaddled the kitten up in the dry ones, pulling him back against his chest and rubbing his back. Levi looked over at the sound of footsteps rushing down the hall, seeing the soldier from before returning with a doctor. "Oi, hurry! It's an emergency!" Levi yelled even though the two were already running. The doctor arrived less than a second later, dropping down on his knees beside Levi. 

"Captain, what's the matter?" He asked.

"Ice-" Levi panted, having to clear his throat. "This boy was drowning in ice water, he needs immediate care." 

"Let me see," the doctor said, reaching for Eren, and Levi hesitated before loosening his grip and handing the boy over. The doctor set Eren on the floor and pulled away the capes, revealing Eren's face, chest, neck, and his ears. "A-a neko?" The doctor asked.

"It doesn't matter what he is. _Help him_ ," Levi growled and the doctor nodded, taking his stethoscope off his neck and placing it in his ears, placing the round, cold metal part to Eren's chest, making the boy whine. Levi reached over, putting a hand on Eren's forehead comfortingly, or at least he hoped it was comforting. 

The doctor listened for a moment before pulling away. "How long was he in the water?" 

"I-I don't know," Levi admitted guiltily. "Do I look like I know everything? A-at least five or six minutes, maybe more," said Levi, shaking his head. 

"We've got to get him to the infirmary immediately, he won't survive much longer in this condition unless we do something," the doctor said quickly and Levi nodded, stoic face somewhat hiding his nervousness as he picked Eren back up and stood as quickly as he could, beginning to run down the hall after the doctor.

"C-captain, what about me?" The young soldier who'd gotten the doctor yelled. 

"Go fucking take a shit for all I care!" Levi snapped behind him. He did not have time for that shit right now. 

Levi followed the doctor down the hall, holding Eren tightly against his chest, the kitten's face tucked in his neck. His arms covered Eren's tiny body almost completely, and Levi hoped that would help keep the kitten warm. Levi wasn't even focused on the fact that he too, was freezing cold. It didn't matter; his life wasn't in danger. Even if it was, Eren always came first in Levi's world.

They rushed into the infirmary, and it was filled with soldiers and trainees who were getting bandaged up from 3DMG and training accidents, and a few soldiers who'd caught a pretty nasty stomach bug. Almost everyone looked in Levi's direction once he entered, doctors and nurses included, all confused to see a wet and disheveled captain holding a dripping wet neko. 

"In here," the doctor instructed, pulling back a curtain to reveal a more private section for captains and commanders. Levi laid Eren down on the first bed he saw, and the doctor called something to the others before pulling the curtain closed. Less than a moment later, a young nurse arrived to help. The doctor immediately began removing the now wet capes from around Eren as the nurse grabbed towels, and they began to rub the boy dry, a bit roughly. Levi wanted to say something, but obviously they were trying to get Eren warm, and that was the fastest way to do it. 

Levi watched with narrow eyes that were hiding fear, reaching over to rub Eren's shoulder when the kitten let out another wet cough and a slightly strangled breath, brows furrowed in obvious pain and discomfort. "What about the water he's breathed in?" Levi asked. 

"We've got to help him cough some of that up, then his body will take care of the rest," the nurse assured Levi, and he nodded skeptically. 

"Go get some hot towels," the doctor requested of the nurse, and she nodded before hurrying off. The doctor reached for Eren and Levi almost jumped at him before he remembered the doctor was helping Eren. The doc turned Eren on his side, facing Levi, and he began hitting the small of his back. 

"Oi-oi, don't hit him," Levi growled, pulling Eren toward him protectively. 

"I need to get him to cough the water up, Captain, I'm not hurting him. He'll die if I don't do this," the doctor assured quickly, so Levi hesitantly let go of Eren so he could continue. Levi took Eren's cold, little hands in his own, the kitten's body jerking roughly at the fairly hard hits. Eren's brows furrowed before he began coughing, a choking sound escaping him as a bit of water came up and onto the bed. He let out a whine and a little cry between coughs, eyes still closed. 

"Shh," Levi shushed the kitten gently. "It's alright, Eren, they're going to help you." 

The doctor continued hitting at the middle of Eren's back with the palm of his hand, the boy coughing and wheezing, water coming up until no more water came out.

"He still doesn't sound good, you didn't get it all," Levi said once the doctor stopped. 

"His body will take care of it. He'll slowly cough the rest out, and some of it will be absorbed by his body. He should be breathing normally in a few days, but right now what we have to worry about is hypothermia," the doctor spoke, taking hot towels from the nurse just as she returned. Levi said nothing, just staring skeptically as they began to wrap Eren up in them. 

"Captain, you should try off as well. You're soaked," the nurse observed, holding out a warm towel to Levi.

"I'm fine," Levi growled. 

"Captain, you'll get hypothermia," the doctor warned. Levi wanted to tell him that he didn't care, but, if he got hypothermia, he wouldn't be able to be there for Eren. He snatched the towel away from the woman, using it to dry his hair and freezing cold face before he handed it back to her. The nurse frowned, taking back the now wet towel. "Anything else I can do for you, sir?" 

"Send someone to go get Captain Hanji. And send someone else to go get commander Erwin and tell him to bring me some damn dry underwear," Levi replied, and  the nurse nodded, looking a bit confused. 

Levi watched her leave the room, then looked back at Eren all bundled up in the towels. "Isn't there anything else you can do?" Levi asked. 

"No, I'm sorry. All we can do is keep him warm and dry. Only fate can decide what happens to him, but...Most children his age...especially nekos..they won't live through hypothermia," the doctor spoke. "My sincere apologies, Captain."

"Don't you fucking dare say that," Levi growled, clenching his fists and storming over to the taller, yet weaker male. "Don't you fucking dare! You'd better fix him right now!" Levi demanded, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt. The doctor's eyes widened and he tried to scramble away, but Levi had a firm grip on him. "Fix him!" Levi yelled, shaking the petrified doctor back and forth. 

"Oi, Levi," a voice came from behind the raven. "Put the man down, he can't change what's happened." 

Levi dropped the doctor to the floor and the coward scrambled away. "Tch." Levi turned on his heel to see Erwin standing just in front of the curtain, arms crossed. "Where's Armin?"

"With Petra and the others. I didn't want to bring him here in case-" Erwin didn't finish the sentence. 

"You didn't want him to see my kitten's dead body?" Levi asked with venom in his voice. 

"Levi, calm yourself," Erwin instructed firmly. "Eren isn't dead, he's right there."

"You don't know what'll happen to him, Erwin, so shut your damn mouth. This wouldn't have happened if-" Levi cut off. This wouldn't have happened if...Levi had been watching Eren like he should have. "God..." Levi put a hand on his forehead, stumbling back and plopping into the chair beside Eren's bed. This was his fault. He did this to Eren.

"Children get into things they aren't supposed to all the time, Levi," Erwin spoke, seeing the guilt on Levi's face. "Neither of us could have prevented it. Let's just be glad we got there in time, alright?"

Just be glad they got there in time? Yes, children tended to get into trouble, which obviously was the same for neko children, but even Levi's own neko? Humanity's Strongest's neko? How could Levi, of all people, let such a thing happen. He understood how other people could let it happen, but Levi was supposed to be respectable and responsible. "Fuck, Erwin, if he dies-"

"Don't. Here, go change," Erwin requested, tossing clothes Levi's way, and Levi barely caught them in time. 

"I can't leave him..." Levi said, looking back at Eren shivering in the bed. 

"The bathroom is just around the corner. I'll watch over him," Erwin assured the raven, and Levi forced himself to nod. He stood up on stiff legs, walking to the bathroom in what felt like slow motion. He pulled off his sopping wet clothes, his skin red and frigid. He tried to rub his skin a bit to get warm, but decided there was no point, and threw on the pair of pants Erwin brought him, which were the right size, then a button up shirt, which was much too large. It must be Erwin's. 

Levi stepped out of the bathroom, trying to tuck in the shirt to make it at least a bit closer to his size as he headed back to the curtained off section Eren was in. He pulled back the curtain, relieved to see both Eren and Erwin in the same position as he left them. 

"He's alright?" Levi asked just to make sure as he walked in, sitting down on the edge of the bed and rubbing Eren's back.

"Yes, Levi. Same as before," Erwin replied, and Levi glared at the man.

"You wouldn't be so sarcastic if it was Armin in this situation," Levi growled. 

"Armin would never get into a situation like this," Erwin replied. 

"Oh, so you think you're so much better at taking care of nekos than I am?" Levi snapped at Erwin.

"That's not what I meant, Levi, and you know it," Erwin said irritably. "You're cold and exhausted, you aren't in your right mind."

"Just shut up. Get out if you aren't going to be of any help," Levi snapped, eyes not leaving Eren. 

"Alright, Levi. Armin and I will be outside if you need us; I understand that you're not in the best mood," Erwin replied. "I'll tell the others to give you some space, as well."

Of course he wasn't in the best mood. His kitten was dying, and it was  _all his fault._ How else was he supposed to react? 

Levi just simply nodded, and he eventually heard Erwin's footsteps leave the room. He couldn't help it when he laid down in Eren's bed, pulling the limp kitten gently against himself. Eren let out a slight whine and Levi hushed him, tucking Eren's face into Levi's neck, arms wrapped around the boy firmly. At least he felt quite a bit warmer. Eren instinctively snuggled himself up to Levi's chest, tiny hands curling into Levi's shirt and a few quiet coughs escaping him. He wasn't even really awake for the most part, but he could tell when Levi was near. And right now, Eren wanted him closer than ever.

Levi closed his eyes, burying his face into the towel covering Eren's chestnut locks. "I'm sorry, Eren," Levi spoke quietly, rubbing the kitten's back again. He shouldn't have let such harm come to Eren. He was supposed to be caring for the kitten, protecting him. But he had failed. He had failed himself, and he had failed Eren. He wasn't able to protect Farlan and Isabel, but now he couldn't protect Eren, either? He promised himself he wouldn't let Eren get hurt, but now Eren might die because of him. 

"Don't die on me, kid.." Levi whispered.

Eren's eyes opened up slightly and he let out another cough, gripping Levi's shirt tighter. "Levy," came a little whine, and Levi hugged Eren tight against him. 

"I'm right here, Erebear," Levi assured the boy. "I'm right here."

"Levy, breaths hurt," Eren whispered hoarsely, still quite out of it. 

"It'll go away soon. Just go back to sleep, Eren, I'll make sure nothing happens to you," Levi spoke quietly, chest aching for the shivering little kitten in his arms. He knew Eren wouldn't believe him when he said he wouldn't let anything happen to the boy. After all, he'd already failed at that. 

"Okay. Nini, Levy," Eren whispered quietly, letting out another painful cough and a bout of shakes as he buried his face in Levi's chest. 

"Goodnight, Eren," Levi whispered. But would Eren wake up? "I..." Levi cut off, staring at the wall. "I love you, Erebear."

"I ley you too, Levy," Eren whispered tiredly before he was out cold again, little body exhausted, and now fighting of a sickness most humans and nekos his age wouldn't survive. That was the first, and possibly last time the two could exchange those words.


	9. The Recovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK ME AN EXTRA WEEK TO UPDATE THIS CHAPTER AHHHHH! Omg I feel so bad even though I warned you guys ahead of time. Ok so I started moving last weekend and then it was suddenly like we decided we would do as much as we could so I was so so busy, so I couldn't update on Monday, so I just figured I would upload the chapter a day or two late. I was supposed to get internet on tuesday, so I figured i would update on tuesday. But they didn't come. Then I thought I would get it Wednesday, but NOPE, I didn't get internet until SATURDAY. And I was like well...might as well just wait until monday to update now since it's almost time anyway. But I love my new room and my new apartment, and I'm having so much fun with my roommates! Hopefully this will inspire me to start working on another fanfic, I'm just not sure what I want to write yet. Any ideas?

Levi stayed at Eren's bedside throughout the night, despite being exhausted himself. He watched over the kitten, making sure he was warm and comfortable, rubbing his back to help him sleep well. He was there when Eren would wake up coughing or shaking, and he wouldn't cease comforting the boy until he could lull him back to sleep. Every time Levi looked at Eren, he felt so  _guilty._ So terribly, incredibly  _guilty._ The guilt felt like it was tearing apart his chest. He should've been keeping a closer eye on Eren, he shouldn't have even brought Eren out in the cold in the first place, he should have been faster getting Eren out of the water. There were all of these things running through his head, all of these thoughts that kept him from sleeping, along with his worry.

He'd only ever felt this guilt once before, when he'd lost Farlan and Isabel. But they were adults, and they were killed by titans. Levi had realized long ago that there was nothing he could have done, after all, he's only human. But there were no titans involved in this case, only Levi's stupidity. Eren was just a defenseless kitten, and Levi was supposed to be watching him. This was all Levi's fault. If Eren died because of him, he didn't know what he would do. He already felt bad enough that Eren was suffering like this, but to have him suffer only to die in the end..He wasn't sure if he could handle it.

"Captain?" A nurse spoke quietly, peeking through the curtain. "Wouldn't you like to go back to your room and get some rest?"

"I've already said I have no intention of leaving..." Levi replied. "Not until Eren can come with me."

"Alright, sir.." The nurse replied, walking in slowly to begin checking on Eren. She did this every hour or so, just to make sure Eren was still alright. And by alright, she meant 'not dead.' She checked on him wordlessly, only listening to his heartbeat and his breathing before wrapping more warm towels around him while Levi watched her closely. He nodded in approval once she had finished, silently signaling for her to leave. She obviously followed his signal, walking out quickly.

Though the nurse was right about Levi needing rest, Levi wasn't willing to leave Eren here. And even if he was, he wouldn't be able to sleep properly knowing Eren's life was in danger.

Levi looked out the window with tired eyes, seeing the sun begin to rise just as Eren's bright green orbs opened up and began to stare at the older. Levi turned his head, looking down at the kitten. "Good morning, Bear."

"G'morn Levy.." Eren mumbled, little hands rubbing at his eyes. "I tired."

"Yeah, me too, kid.." said Levi, reaching over to brush Eren's messy locks away from his face. "How are you feeling?"

"I sicky," Eren replied, and Levi nodded slightly as the kitten began coughing. 

"Yeah, you are. But you'll feel better soon, Eren.." Levi spoke, trying to sound sure of his words. But it was hard, especially knowing what might happen to Eren. 

"Levy make me feel bedder with hugs," Eren said hoarsely, reaching out for Levi. Levi didn't hesitate, bringing Eren up into his arms, making sure to keep the blankets tight around the kitten to keep him warm. 

"Is that better?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded, a slight purr starting to escape him as he nuzzled Levi's cheek with his own. This caused Levi to let out a slight breath of relief, finally taking a minute to close his eyes. He knew Eren was strong and determined, and if anyone could get through this...It was his Eren.

Levi stayed with Eren every single day as the kitten recovered, doing everything he could to ensure that Eren was not only recovering, but thriving. The kitten, despite his scare with the ice and the sickness that followed, brightened up everyone's day. Nurses loved him, and so did the doctors. As Eren recovered, his curious and excited personality slowly returned. This, of all things, was what made Levi the happiest. He had missed Eren's adventurous nature dearly, even though it was what had caused this trouble in the first place. But most of all, this meant that Eren would be okay.

It took about two weeks for Eren to fully recover, and in that time, he had grown much more than Levi thought he would, rising about two or three inches from his original height, and his speech improved even more. Levi was beginning to miss some of the babbly baby talk Eren had lost, but now he could talk about a lot more things with Eren, even carrying on small conversations that actually made sense.

"Are you excited to go home today?" Levi asked the kitten, who was jumping up and down on the infirmary bed. 

"Yes, Levy!" Eren replied in excitement. 

"Eren, stop jumping. Come on, Bear, come down here so I can help you get dressed," Levi said, holding up a pink knitted sweater with a matching skirt, and white leggings to go underneath. 

"Okay." Eren plopped down on the bed, letting Levi pick him up and set him on the floor. Levi changed Eren out of his pajamas, slipping the clothes on him, making sure they would keep the kitten warm. And of course, he finished the look off with white ruffled socks and pink Mary Janes. 

"This is probably the last time you'll be able to wear this outfit, you're growing fast..." Levi murmured, adjusting the sweater on Eren. 

"I will be big soon, Levy. Big as you," said Eren, tapping Levi's nose. 

"Not quite that big, Bear.." Levi chuckled halfheartedly. He was a bit sad to be seeing Eren grow up so fast. "But for now you're still little," said Levi, easily lifting Eren up under his arm, making the kitten giggle. "You ready to go?"

"Yes, Levy," Eren giggled, squirming in the captain's grip. Levi brought Eren up onto his hip, holding onto him firmly as his free hand grabbed the bag with Eren's things. He brought the boy out from behind the curtain, into the other half of the infirmary and allowing Eren to say goodbye to all of the doctors and nurses, though Levi was sure Eren would see them again, as he was most definitely planning to take Eren for regular checkups. 

Once Eren had managed all of his goodbyes...which were...a lot of them, they were finally off toward Levi's room, Levi walking rather quickly down the hallway with Eren in his arms. He wanted to get Eren back to the safety of his room as soon as possible. He felt like that was the only place Eren was truly safe and comfortable. 

He unlocked the door quickly, opening it up. He'd really only been back here a few times over the past two weeks, just to bathe and get toys for Eren, but he felt like he hadn't been home in a long time. "There we go, Erebear.."

Eren was already squirming excitedly in Levi's grasp, eager to get down and to return to familiarity. Levi set Eren down, watching as the kitten rushed over to the bed, immediately rubbing his cheeks on it, re-marking it with his scent. Eren repeated this process with the walls, the nightstand, the blankets, and the couch, marking pretty much anything he could get his hands...or rather, cheeks on. Levi watched intently, arms crossed and face content. He was glad Eren was happy to be home.

"You happy to be home, Little Bear?" Levi asked, though he knew Eren was obviously happy. 

"I missed home!" Eren shouted, running back over to Levi so the older could pick him up in his arms again. Levi hoisted Eren up, resting him on his hip and pressing his nose into Eren's hair. 

"I missed being able to have you here.." Levi murmured. "I love you, Eren."

"I ley you too, Levy," Eren replied, burying his face in Levi's neck. 

Levi sighed, looking around the room. "I hate to do this to you, kid, but you really need a bath." Eren immediately pulled his face away from Levi's neck, eyes wide. 

"No! No, Levy, no!" Eren shouted, shaking his head. 

"Sorry, kid.." Levi murmured. He didn't want to give Eren a bath right when they got home, but Eren really...really needed one. Levi headed toward the bathroom, holding onto Eren firmly as the kitten began to squirm. 

"Levy! No!" Eren continued shouting as Levi brought him to the bathroom. The captain turned on the water, watching as it began to flow into the tub, and that's when Eren broke out into sobs of pure terror. "No wa! No water!"

"Ere-" Levi murmured, struggling to hold onto the wailing, flailing kitten. Eren was afraid of the water, wasn't he? 

"Levy ple, I no want no more sicky!" Eren screeched, sobbing. 

"Eren, you won't get sick, this water is warm," Levi assured the boy, who started coughing from all the crying he was doing. "Shh, Bear, you gotta calm down.."

"Levy-water bad-" Eren choked out.

"Eren, I'm right here. You're not going to drown while I'm here, Bear. I would never let that happen," Levi assured, brows furrowed in worry. He shouldn't have even let Eren drown in the pond in the first place, and Eren would never have even been in this situation.

"Levy-no-" Eren sobbed, ears pressed flat against his hair. 

"Eren, I promise. I'll sit right on the edge of the tub."

"No-you come in-Levy come in-" Eren sobbed. Levi scratched his head, looking up at the ceiling and letting out a long breath. 

"Is there any other way I can get you in the tub?" Levi asked, and Eren shook his head stubbornly, starting to cry harder.

"Alright, alright. I'll come in the tub with you.." Levi murmured defeatedly, and Eren immediately ceased his crying, ears perking up. Levi sighed, setting the boy down to begin undressing him, setting his clothes aside before hesitantly beginning to unbutton his shirt. Eren looked at him with wide eyes, head cocked in curiosity. "Eren..." Levi murmured, taking the kitten's shoulder to turn him away from him. "Don't watch me undress.." He took his hand away from Eren's shoulder, undoing the rest of the buttons on his shirt, but Eren had turned back around again to watch Levi. "Ere-Forget it," Levi sighed, throwing his shirt off and then doing away with his belt, pants...And his underwear. 

"Levy wha's dat?" Eren asked, reaching out to try and grab Levi's...thingy. 

"E-Eren-Don't-" Levi stammered, covering up his junk. "It's the same thing you have, don't worry about it.." God, this was beyond awkward. And it was definitely beyond Levi's comfort zone. Though, Eren didn't seem to mind at all. Of course he didn't, he was just a child. "Come on...Let's get in.." Levi murmured, turning off the water and picking Eren up as he stepped in the tub.

"Levy, hold me!" Eren shouted. 

"I am holding you, Eren," said Levi as he sat down in the warm water of the tub, Eren on his thigh. Eren slapped his hands against the water, splashing both of them. "Bear.." Levi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Let's just do this quick." 

Levi scrubbed Eren clean, shampooed his hair, rinsed him off, and then managed to wash himself as well in only a short period of time. He stepped out of the tub carefully, a slippery, wet kitten wiggling in his arms. "Eren, hold still-" Levi stammered, afraid he'd drop the boy, but Eren just giggled. Levi rolled his eyes, grabbing a towel to wrap Eren in before setting the boy down. 

"Levy, I'm nakey," said Eren.

"What, did you want to take a bath in your clothes?" Levi asked sarcastically. 

"Yes," Eren replied innocently, giggling again. 

"Smartass..." Levi murmured, grabbing another towel for himself. He wrapped the towel around his waist, kneeling down so he could dry Eren off and redress him in the clothes he had been wearing before. "There," Levi said once he was finished. 

"Do I look pretty?" Eren asked. 

"You always do, Bear," Levi replied, kissing Eren's forehead before picking him up again, holding him against his chest as he walked out of the bathroom. He set Eren down on the floor so the kitten could play with his blocks while Levi got dressed. Levi watched Eren while the kitten played with his blocks, making little towers or just lining them all up in different ways, and Levi let a smile escape him when he saw Eren trying to spell out his own name. So far, the blocks said 'Ebene.' 

Eren furrowed his brows, looking at the blocks. "E-b..b.." 

"It's an R, not a B," Levi spoke up, causing Eren to jump slightly. Levi kneeled down beside the kitten, taking away the "B" block, and replacing it with an "R." Now, the blocks spelled out 'Erene.' 

"Eren?" Eren asked, looking at Levi for approval. 

"Close. You have an extra letter in there," Levi replied. "Can you sound it out and figure out which one?"

"E-r-e.." Eren murmured, hands grazing over the blocks before he removed the unnecessary letter "E" at the end of his name. "Eren?" Eren asked, and his face lit up when Levi nodded. "I did it, Levy!" 

"You sure did, Erebear. Bear. B-E-A-R..." Levi murmured, collecting the blocks and lining them up to spell out 'Bear.' "What about my name, can you spell that?"

"L...L-e...v..y.." Eren murmured, brows furrowed in concentration as he picked up an "L" block. He spelled out 'Lav.'

"Here...I'll help..." Levi murmured, replacing the "A" with an "E." "Now, what's missing? Just one more letter," said Levi, watching Eren intently. 

"Le...vy..." Eren murmured. "Y." Eren placed a "Y" block at the end of Levi's name. "Levy."

"No...Bear.." Levi murmured. "It's 'Levi,' not 'Levy.'" He sighed. 

"Mh..no..you Levy," Eren replied. "Is'a Levy." Eren giggled, and Levi knew Eren was only doing this to get on his nerves. 

"Brat.." Levi murmured playfully, tickling Eren's tummy and making the kitten squeal. "But I have to be serious with you for a minute, Erebear.." Levi murmured, putting a hand on the kitten's shoulder. "You do know that when I tell you to do something or not to do something, it's because I know best, right?" Levi asked, and Eren slowly nodded, ears flattening against his head. He knew this talk was coming. 

"I know..Levy.." Eren whispered, looking away guiltily. 

"What happened the other week...It was my fault, not yours. I should have been keeping a better eye on you. But from now on, Eren, you need to listen to what I tell you. I'm only trying to keep you safe...I don't know what I would do if something bad happened to you." It was hard for Levi to admit this to Eren, but he knew he had to to keep the boy safe. 

"I sorry, Levy.." Eren said, tears in his eyes. "I will listen to Levy from now on."

"It's alright, Eren. I'm not mad at you, I just wanted you to know that I care about you and I want you to be safe. C'mere.." Levi murmured, reaching out and pulling the kitten into his lap, hugging him close. Eren buried his face in Levi's chest, little arms wrapping around the older's torso. "Shh..It's alright." Levi gently stroked Eren's hair and scratched behind his ears as he held the kitten close. He wasn't great with this whole...emotion...thing, but he was trying his best. 

Levi's stomach growled, and Eren moved his face from Levi's chest down to Levi's stomach in confusion, pressing his ear to it. 

"Levy belly angry?" Eren asked quietly. 

"No, I'm just hungry. Good guess, though," said Levi, gently plucking Eren off his lap and standing up. "I'm going to make dinner, and I'll give you your bottle while dinner's cooking," said Levi. 

"I wanna help!" Eren yelled, grabbing onto Levi's leg to try and prevent him from leaving.

"I don't want you near the stove," said Levi, walking into the kitchen with Eren still hanging onto his leg, the kitten's guilt now turned into happiness and clinginess, like usual.

"Levy! Levy please! Please, please, please," Eren begged, pulling on Levi's pant leg. This went on for about ten minutes straight. 

"Alright, alright," Levi finally gave in. He picked Eren up, setting him on the counter. "Here, you can help me cut these carrots," said Levi, setting a cutting board, carrots, and a knife in front of the kitten. "Give me your hands. Here, you hold the knife like this, see?" Levi asked, putting the knife in Eren's hand and wrapping his own hand around Eren's smaller one. "And then you hold the carrot with your other hand." Levi took Eren's other hand, placing it on the carrot, then placing his own hand over it. "Now we cut." Levi brought Eren's hand with the knife down, carefully cutting the carrot into slices, making sure to hold Eren's hand gently, but tight enough so that Levi's own hand wouldn't slip away. 

The two cut the carrot together, then did the same thing with a potato. Eren felt so proud and wouldn't stop smiling, still too young to realize he wasn't even the one cutting the vegetables. But Levi was happy that he could make Eren happy. He put the vegetables in to boil, along with a piece of pork. While he waited for those to cook, he warmed Eren's bottle, then brought the boy over to the bed to feed him. 

Eren got all snuggled up in the crook of Levi's arm, like usual, while Levi helped the kitten hold his bottle while he hungrily drank down the milk. Levi wouldn't admit it, but feeding Eren was actually one of his favorite things to do. It was so relaxing, and he got to hold Eren close, where the kitten would be safe. "You like it when I feed you like this?" Levi asked quietly, and Eren nodded, still nursing from his bottle as his eyes closed contentedly. "Good...I like it too," Levi whispered, running a hand through Eren's chestnut brown hair. "I'm so glad to have you home."

This wasn't home without Eren.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's outfit - http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1cfhOJXXXXXXYXXXXq6xXFXXXV/2015-font-b-Toddler-b-font-Baby-Girls-Knit-font-b-Sweater-b-font-Lace-font.jpg


	10. The Three Musketeers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I'm supposed to be working on a journalism project but you know...I'm just...writing fanfic in class....Also, I'm not trying to be depressing, but my dog died on Thursday. She was old and we knew it was coming, but she was such a good dog, so I'll miss her very much <3

When Levi told people Eren was growing fast, he meant really,  _really_ fast. Too fast. 

"Levy, read with me?" Eren asked from where he sat on the bed. Levi looked over at the kitten with slightly sad eyes. 

"You know how to read by yourself now, Eren.." said Levi. It had been two months since Eren's incident, and he seemed to be getting older by the minute. He didn't fit into any of the clothes he used to, and he had begun to read and write all by himself. The one habit that Eren continued no matter how old he got, though, was the nickname he'd given Levi.

"Levy, please~" Eren whined, bouncing in the bed. "Please, I don't wanna read by myself." 

Levi almost winced at how good Eren had become at talking. "Alright, Bear," he sighed, giving in. "We'll get you in your pajamas and get you your mug of warm milk, then we'll read. Alright?" Levi suggested, and Eren nodded obediently. They'd just finished dinner, and Levi had been planning to get some paperwork done. But, he could almost never say no to his Erebear. 

Eren scampered off the bed, skipping over to the bottom drawer of Levi's dresser, where Eren now kept his clothes. He pulled out a silky, pale pink nightgown with lace on the edges and a ribbon around the neck, setting it down before beginning to pull off the white collared dress he had been wearing that day. Levi watched intently, absentmindedly stirring his tea. 

"Levy, don't look!" Eren shouted at the older, turning his back to him. This caused Levi to lift an eyebrow in slight surprise in shock. 

"What? You've never minded me being in the room while you change before," Levi stated. Hell, he even helped Eren get dressed still most of the time. 

"No, don't look," Eren repeated. Levi lifted his hands in surrender, turning his back so he could lean against the counter. He could hear Eren struggling a bit to pull his dress over his head by himself, but Levi respected Eren's wishes, not watching as the kitten changed into his nightgown. "Okay, look."

Levi turned back around and Eren was all dressed in his nightgown, already putting his dirty clothes in the hamper. "Alright.." Levi mumbled. Eren really hadn't had any interest in being independent, especially after he drowned, so this was surprising to Levi. Eren crawled up onto the bed, ears twitching. 

"Okay, read," Eren requested, holding out a book to Levi. Levi took the book in his free hand as he slowly sat down on the bed, Eren immediately cuddling up against his side. 

"We'll take turns, alright? You still need practice reading," said Levi, and Eren nodded. "I'll read a page, then you will." He opened the book, titled  **The Three Musketeers.** He began reading, but his mind wasn't exactly focused on the book. Before he knew it, his turn was over and Eren was pulling the book from Levi's hand, eagerly beginning to read. Levi barely even had to help him on hard words. 

They continued taking turns until Eren began getting sleepy, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. "You getting tired?" Levi asked, but Eren shook his head. 

"I'll never be tired, I want to stay up all night," said Eren, but Levi could tell he was quite groggy. 

"Sure, Bear," Levi murmured in slight amusement, closing the book and setting it on the nightstand. "I'll get your warm milk now, alright?"

"Okay," Eren murmured, slowly scooting away from Levi so Levi could get out of bed. Levi handed the boy his stuffed bear to cuddle with instead, which Eren happily wrapped in his arms as he watched Levi go to the kitchen to prepare a warm mug of milk, since Eren didn't drink from a bottle anymore.

Levi set a pot on the stove and poured in a bit of milk, glancing over at the sleepy kitten in the bed every once in a while to make sure he was alright. Even though Eren was completely safe in Levi's room, Levi still hadn't been able to abandon how protective he felt over Eren since the incident. 

Once the milk had heated up, Levi poured it into Eren's little teacup that matched Levi's big one that he used for his tea. He walked over to the boy and Eren sat up, blanket wrapped around himself as Levi handed him the cup, sitting down to pull Eren against his side and help him hold the cup so he wouldn't spill it. He didn't care if people thought Eren was spoiled because of the stuff he did for the boy, after all, when had Levi ever given a fuck about what anyone else thought? He liked these nights with Eren where he could cuddle the boy close and have Eren drink the milk to help him settle into bed and have good dreams. Erwin did the same thing with Armin, too. Though, Armin and Erwin enjoyed playing games or practicing math, or something...Eren really had no interest in math. At all. And Levi didn't really bother to teach him because honestly, who cares about math? Of course he'd teach the boy basic adding and subtracting, but...math was disgusting.

And besides, Levi much preferred cuddling with Eren and talking with him, listening to the little kitten talk about his day until he fell asleep.

"What did you and Armin do with Hanji today while Erwin and I trained? Did you have fun?" Levi murmured to the kitten as Eren took a sip of his milk. 

The kitten swallowed and nodded, a bit of milk on his upper lip. "We drew lots of pictures and colored them," said Eren. 

"Oh? What did you draw?" Levi asked, though he already knew. Eren always drew pictures of him and Levi doing different things, and Levi kept them pinned on the wall beside his bed. He had at least a dozen. 

"I drew me and Armin in the field," Eren replied happily.

"Oh," said Levi, hiding his disappointment. "I'm sure it's beautiful. Can I see?" He asked. Even if it wasn't a picture of him and Eren, he still loved having the kitten's artworks.

"I gaved it to Hanji, she liked it," Eren replied, yawning. Levi frowned, absentmindedly rubbing Eren's back.

"I'm sure she did.." Levi murmured. Eren never drew pictures for anyone except him...What had changed? No, this was stupid to be jealous over. It was just one damn picture, why did Levi care so much? Was he that greedy?

Eren nodded, tail swaying back and forth slightly, sticking out from beneath the blanket. "Hanji is real nice to me and Armin, she lets us draw lots of things. I have lots of fun there." 

"I'm sure you do, Erebear.." Levi murmured. "I'm going to Erwin's tomorrow to have coffee and talk about some plans, but I'm taking you with me so you can sit on my lap while Erwin and I talk. Would you like that?" Levi asked, trying to change the subject.

"Can't I play with Armies?" Eren asked, eyes half lidded from exhaustion. 

"I mean..I guess you can, but you played with him all day today while you were with Hanji.." Levi murmured, frowning deeply. "Don't you want to sit with me?"

"Grown up talks are boring..I wanna play.." Eren replied, shrugging as he handed Levi back the empty teacup, yawning again as he snuggled into Levi's side.

"We'll see how you feel tomorrow, maybe you'll change your mind," Levi murmured monotonously, pulling Eren up into his arms as he laid back, Eren snuggling against his chest. Why didn't Eren want to be with him? Sure, he could understand how the kitten could become bored by adults talking about something that Eren didn't care about at all, but usually Eren would endure the boredom so he could curl up in Levi's lap. What had changed?

Eren nodded slowly, burying his face in Levi's chest as Levi began gently stroking his fingers through the boy's soft chestnut locks, combing out any tangles in the wild mane and making sure to scratch behind Eren's ears as the kitten slowly drifted off. Levi couldn't help thinking about what he could have done wrong to make Eren not as clingy as he used to be, but he couldn't think of anything. Was Eren just beginning to decide he didn't like Levi as much anymore?

Levi shouldn't even be thinking about this, should he? Why should he even care? Eren was growing up and wouldn't want to stay with him forever. Of course he cared about Eren..no, not even just cared about him, but loved him. But he only took Eren in in the first place to make sure he was safe, not for him to love Eren and for Eren to love him. 

Levi sighed, carefully moving the sleeping kitten off his chest and onto the bed, tucking the blankets around him.  He couldn't help it when his lips found Eren's forehead, his hand cupping the side of the kitten's face before he pulled away, walking toward the kitchen to retrieve his now cold tea. He didn't really care, though, he had a lot more on his mind than just cold tea. Maybe he could talk to Erwin about it in the morning...

Levi was up most of the night doing paperwork, not because he had to, but because he couldn't sleep. He'd get up every so often and check on Eren to make sure he was still sound asleep. He honestly missed being able to sleep through the whole night, but he couldn't even remember when the last time he did was. Maybe when he'd first found Eren? The few times he did manage to sleep through the night quickly faded away after the drowning incident, as Levi would constantly wake up in fear that Eren had died. Was that normal?

Levi sat back down in the bed around 3 AM, setting his tea down on the nightstand as he looked at Eren, the sleeping kitten comfortably curled up in the blankets, his stuffed bear wrapped firmly in his arms. He gently rubbed Eren's back, making the kitten start to purr in his sleep. There would probably come a time when Eren wouldn't purr at Levi's touch anymore..

Levi wasn't sure how long he sat there with Eren, but at some point, he eventually fell asleep sitting up, propped up against the headboard, head lolled to the side. He didn't wake again until the sun rose, and a little body was sitting on his lap, pressed up against his chest. 

"Levy, it's time to wake up," said Eren, pressing his nose to Levi's.

"Mh? Eren..." Levi murmured exhaustedly. "No..Go back to sleep.."

"But the sun is up," said Eren, bringing his hands up to squish Levi's cheeks together to make a fishy face. Levi blinked open his tired eyes, wincing at the bright room. Eren couldn't help wondering why Levi was so tired. "Up, Levy."

Levi sighed, faking annoyance before wrapping his arms around Eren, pulling him up and making the kitten squeal as Levi gently pinned him down on the mattress. "Don't ever wake up the big bear, because you'll get eaten," Levi teased the boy, tickling under his arms and leaning down to blow raspberries on his belly. Eren giggled for a while and flailed around before he was out of breath. 

"Levy-no more," Eren said firmly. "No more playing, I don't feel like playing." 

Levi looked up in slight shock, pulling away a few moments later. "What? Why?" Levi asked, which was usually what Eren asked when Levi said it was time for them to stop playing. 

"I don't feel like it," said Eren, shrugging. 

"I..alright.." Levi murmured, standing up. "I'll...go get your clothes so we can get ready. We'll eat breakfast at Erwin's.." He didn't say another word before walking away, and Eren frowned slightly at the way Levi's demeanor had shifted. Was he angry with him? "Here. I'm sure you want to do it yourself," said Levi, handing Eren his navy long-sleeved dress with a white collar, matching knee high white socks, and a red scarf to finish it off and to keep the kitten warm.

"Thank you, Levy," said Eren, and Levi nodded, walking away. "Don't loo-"

"I won't look," Levi cut the boy off, heading to the kitchen to begin preparing his tea, in a bit of a sour mood. He understood some of the things Eren didn't want, like not wanting help changing anymore and not wanting to be watched while he changed. Those were normal, right? Especially at his age. But to not want to play with Levi anymore? Eren almost always begged Levi to continue when he stopped, but now all of a sudden he didn't have any interest in playing. Not with Levi, at least. Was it because he wasn't fun enough or something? "You done, Eren?"

"Yeah-I'm done, Levy," Eren replied as he slipped on his second frilly sock, Levi turning around just as he finished. "Good. I'll get dressed, while you pack a bag of any toys you want to bring," said Levi, grabbing his usual uniform from the dresser, heading into the bathroom. Maybe he should just let Eren be more independent?

Soon enough, he found himself knocking on Erwin's door, Eren's little hand in his free hand. 

"Ah, Levi, Eren," said Erwin as he opened the door, Armin purring happily in his arms. "Good to see you."

"We just saw you yesterday, Erwin. Oi, are you really getting so old you can't remember when you last saw me?" Levi asked, stepping past Erwin and into his room. 

"I suppose I am, Levi. Much too old to fight titans now," Erwin confirmed. 

"You wish," Levi murmured, shaking his head.

"I think we all do. Coffee?" Erwin asked, gesturing to the table. There was a pitcher of coffee, some bread, pastries, fruits, and a little bit of sausage. 

"Good God, Erwin. How the hell do you get all this food?" Levi asked, narrowing his eyes. 

"I'm the commander," said Erwin. 

"And I'm a captain. And I never get fresh fruits," said Levi, frowning as he let go of Eren's hand so Eren could run toward the table. "Oi, Eren, hold on, I'll make you a plate in a minute," Levi scolded, knowing Eren would just eat anything sweet on the table. 

"I like to pull some strings every once in a while.." said Erwin. "Of course, you can't complain when I share it with you."

"Mh.." Levi hummed in agreement, not wanting to admit it as he walked over to the table, putting a muffin, a bit of sausage, and a few strawberries on a plate for Eren and pouring him a small glass of milk, picking the kitten up and sitting down so Eren could sit on his lap while he ate, and Erwin did the same thing with Armin. 

"You look tired," Erwin observed, sliding a cup of coffee Levi's way, and he gladly accepted it. 

"Couldn't sleep," Levi replied as he took a sip, watching Eren eat a bit messily, cringing and handing the kitten a napkin.

"Oh? Something work related?" Erwin asked. 

"Do I look like I want to share, Shitwin?" Levi asked, and Armin gasped. 

"It's fine, Armin," Erwin chuckled. "You do know Eren's going to have a mouth on him soon enough when you use language like that, don't you?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine.." Levi murmured. "Honestly, he's not even listening." Eren was much too invested in the luxurious food he wasn't used to to be listening to their conversation. "I'll tell you about it later." 

"Well, I have some news of my own. Or- I guess it's not really my news, but apparently Hanji's gone and got herself a neko," said Erwin, and Levi's normally narrow eyes widened just a bit. 

"No kidding.." He murmured. He knew she had been planning to get one eventually, but he assumed she'd talk to him first.

"Apparently she picked her up yesterday," said Erwin, shrugging. 

"Ah...that's why she couldn't watch Eren and Armin for long, I'm assuming. And...Her? She got a female?" Levi asked, and Erwin nodded. 

"Mhm. Heard it was an alpha, too," Erwin replied, sipping his coffee. "She should be by any minute with her so she can meet the boys."

"What? Why didn't you tell me that earlier?" Levi asked. 

"She just told me this morning," said Erwin. "Really...really early. Woke me up.." He grumbled. 

"Will the alpha hurt Eren and Armin?" Levi asked in concern. 

"No, no. I doubt it. I'm sure Hanji wouldn't bring over some crazy horny neko, or something like that. I think she's just about Eren and Armin's age," Erwin replied. "Her name is...Me..casa..Or something like that, I don't know."

"Hm..As long as she gets along with Eren and Armin, I don't have a problem with it," Levi murmured. 

"I understand," said Erwin, helping Armin to cut a bit of sausage. The two talked for a little while longer while Eren and Armin finished eating, then they set the kittens down to let them go play. Levi watched intently, sighing and leaning his chin on his hand. 

"Levi? Hello?" Erwin asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"What..?" Levi murmured in annoyance.

"What's up with you? I hope you won't be zoning out like this when you're fighting titans," said Erwin, taking another sip of his coffee. 

"Nothing.." He couldn't keep his eyes off Eren playing with the other kitten. 

"Is it about Eren?" Erwin asked, and luckily they were out of earshot of the boys. Levi only nodded slowly. "What happened?"

"Has Armin been separating himself from you lately?" Levi asked, shifting his gaze to rest on Erwin.

"Hm? No..no, not really. I mean, he can do more things on his own now, but I usually have a hard time making him let go of me so I can even go to the bathroom sometimes," Erwin chuckled, and Levi frowned.

"Hmph.."

"What?" Erwin asked. "Eren's like that with you, isn't he?"

"Not lately..." Levi mumbled. "He wants to do everything himself. Won't even let me be in the room while he changes. Hell, he didn't even want to play with me this morning," said Levi in irritation. 

"Is someone having some problems with baby bird getting ready to leave the nest?" Erwin teased.

"Stop it, Shitwin, you're not funny," Levi snapped bitterly.

"Alright, calm down," Erwin said, unable to help his slight smirk behind the rim of his coffee mug. There was a knock at the door, harsh and repetitive. "That must be Hanji and the new kitten...I'm sure you can ask her about this, yeah?" Erwin suggested, standing up and walking over to the door, opening it up. He stepped aside so Hanji could enter, which she did. One hand was occupied with a bag, and the other hand was holding a tiny little hand that belonged to a raven neko standing behind Hanji's leg. She had jet black hair and gray eyes, with ears and a tail that matched. 

Armin and Eren's attention was immediately ripped away from their toys and they looked at the raven kitten. Eren's eyes widened in surprise and shock as he pointed at her, which made her a bit uneasy. 

"It's alright, Mikasa. Mikasa, this is Levi, Erwin, Armin, and Eren," said Hanji, pointing to each of them so Mikasa knew. Even though she was an alpha, she didn't look much different than Armin and Eren, just a tad taller, and her ears were a bit bigger.

"Erwin..?" Armin asked cautiously. 

"It's alright, Arm," said Erwin. "She's a new friend to play with." Armin nodded slowly, trusting Erwin completely. Mikasa slowly shuffled out from behind Hanji's leg, letting go of her hand. She looked sort of angry...

"Is she...alright..?" Erwin asked. 

"Oh, she's just not good with new people.." said Hanji, reaching over to try and flatten Midas's tail, which was puffed up. Mikasa whipped around and slapped Hanji's hands away.

"Don't touch," Mikasa said with venom in her voice. 

"Jesus Christ," Levi murmured. "Hanji, where the hell did you find this thing?" 

"She's not a thing, Levi! She's just a bit upset right now. She was a sweetheart earlier, I swear," Hanji defended.

Mikasa slowly turned to Levi. "I don't like you," she said simply before turning to look at Armin and Eren. She pointed at Eren, and Eren looked a bit nervous, gnawing on his bottom lip.

"Go say hi, Mikasa," Hanji encouraged, and Mikasa slowly shuffled over to the two kittens, who were now hugging each other for dear life. Mikasa plopped down in front of them, glaring at them momentarily before her demeanor shifted and she meowed playfully. 

"What..." Levi murmured. 

Armin and Eren looked at each other before releasing from their hug, beginning to talk to Mikasa and show her their toys, which Mikasa examined with interest.

"See?" Hanji asked, but Levi kept catching Mikasa glare at him.

"I don't think she likes me," Levi murmured in annoyance, crossing his arms.

"Erm...You know, I don't think she does either," Hanji murmured, scratching her head. Mikasa scooted closer to Eren and licked his cheek, which made Levi cringe. Eren unwrapped his scarlet scarf from around his neck, wrapping it around Mikasa, and she accepted it happily.

"She seems to like Eren.." Levi observed with a bit of annoyance. 

"Seems so," Hanji chuckled. 

"That's cute," said Erwin, nudging Levi with his elbow. "Look's like Eren's found himself a little mate."

Levi's eyes darkened, and he glared at the raven kitten playing with his own kitten. Nobody would be that kitten's mate except for Levi.

That was _**his**_ kitten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dun dun dun....I'm pretty sure Levi just officially declared himself a pedophile, but whatever.
> 
> Eren's outfits - http://www.poshgirlvintage.com/images/K400.jpg
> 
> http://www.wearmeoutkids.com/images/princess-nightgown.jpg
> 
> http://i.ebayimg.com/images/a/T2eC16VHJHYE9nzpeC+FBQWn)88vtg~~/s-l300.jpg


	11. The Doctor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yayy, here's chapter 11. It's pretty fluffy, so don't say I didn't warn you!

"Levi?" Hanji asked. "What's the matter?"

"Hm..? Nothing..." Levi murmured, tearing his gaze away from Mikasa and Eren, gritting his teeth.

"You look angry.." Hanji said. "Is it about Mikasa not liking you?"

"No..I have to shit," Levi lied.

"Ew, Levi. Get yourself together," said Erwin. "You're not shitting in my bathroom."

"I didn't want to anyway. I'm sure it's smelly.." Levi defended.

"Erwin is super clean, look at his perfect hair and eyebrows.." Hanji observed, trying to touch Erwin's face, and Erwin pushed her hand away. 

"I know I'm clean. Any who..Hanji, Levi has some questions for you," Erwin said, looking toward Levi.

"Hm..? Yeah.." Levi mumbled, glancing over at Eren still playing with the other kittens. "Eren hates me."

"He's overreacting," Erwin assured the surprised looking Hanji. "Eren's just becoming more independent and Levi doesn't know how to handle it," Erwin explained. 

"I do know how to handle it," Levi growled. 

"Obviously not, shortie," Hanji chuckled. 

"OI, you do realize I'm your fellow captain, don't you, Shitty Glasses?"

"Oh. Sorry. Captain Shortie," Hanji corrected herself, and Levi rolled his eyes. "Why are you so upset about Eren being a little bit more independent? Don't you want him to be?" Hanji asked. 

"It's not that I don't want him to be independent, it's just..." Levi honestly didn't know how to finish that sentence. "He didn't even want me to tickle him this morning, Hanji. What if he's not okay?"

"Just because he's growing up doesn't mean he's not okay," Hanji chuckled slightly.

"Hm.." Levi hummed, frowning and sitting back in his chair as he crossed his arms.

"While Levi pouts, I suppose we should start to get some work done," Erwin suggested. 

"I suppose so," Hanji agreed.

An hour later, they'd finished whatever the hell they'd gone there to do, Levi not having participated much at all. Erwin shuffled the papers in his hands, clearing his throat. 

"Well, that's it for now," said Erwin, and Hanji nodded.

"Then Eren and I will be heading out," Levi spoke rather quickly, standing up from his chair and walking over to the three kittens, who were playing with some of Armin's dolls. "Eren, it's time to go," Levi spoke, looking down at the kitten on the floor. 

"Levy, we're not done playing," Eren whined. 

"You can finish your game later, Eren. We're leaving," Levi spoke firmly. 

Eren frowned, looking up at the captain. "I don't wanna!" He yelled, holding the doll tightly against his chest. Levi raised an eyebrow at this, narrow eyes twitching menacingly. 

"What did you just say to me?" Levi asked, a slight growl in his voice. "Give Armin back his doll. We're leaving.  **Now."**

Eren froze up a bit, staring up at Levi with wide eyes before hesitantly handing Armin back his doll. He stood up, head down as Levi took his hand firmly. "Say bye to Armin and Margaret, Eren."

"My name is Mikasa.." Mikasa murmured in annoyance. 

"Whatever. Say bye," Levi grumbled, and Eren mumbled a small goodbye, head still down. Levi pulled the kitten toward the door, looking over at Hanji and Erwin and giving them a small nod. 

"Oi, don't go too hard on him now, Levi," Erwin chuckled slightly. 

"Whatever," Levi mumbled, opening the door and leading Eren out. Levi didn't say a word or look at Eren as he marched him down the hall, walking right past their room. 

"W-where we going?" Eren asked nervously. 

"The doctor," Levi replied monotonously.

"Wh-what? Levy, why?" Eren asked, and Levi didn't reply.

The walk seemed to take forever to Eren, and even though he didn't look up, he could feel Levi's glare on him. 

"Captain, what can I do for you today?" A woman asked when Levi entered the infirmary. 

"I need a doctor to look at Eren immediately," Levi requested.

"Oh? What seems to be the problem? Is he sick?" The woman asked, bending down to look at Eren, and Eren shied away. 

"I guess you could say that," Levi murmured. 

"Alright, Captain, I'll have Dr. Rusele look at him when he's finished with the soldier over there," the woman spoke, nodding over to a doctor wrapping up a younger soldier's knee. 

"Mh.." Levi hummed in agreement, nodding and leading Eren over to a chair. He picked the kitten up and set him down in the chair, choosing to stand himself. 

Eren frowned slightly. Levi was angry with him, wasn't he? Because of what he said earlier about not wanting to leave?

"Levy, I'm sorry," Eren spoke quietly.

"It's fine, Eren. I know you're sorry," Levi murmured, still not looking down at the kitten. Eren's ears twitched in confusion. Was Levi mad about something different? 

Eren stayed silent, deciding it would be best not to ask, only looking up when a doctor walked over. He was an older man, not more than ten or fifteen years older than Levi, a bit of gray starting to creep into his dark brown locks in the front of his hair. He had glasses, and a neatly shaven face, which made him look slightly younger than he really was. Eren had only met him a few times. 

"Hello, Captain. Nice to see you again," the doctor said, saluting to Levi. 

"Dr. Rusele," Levi murmured in acknowledgement, nodding. 

"You wanted me to have a look at Eren?" Dr. Rusele asked, and Levi nodded again. "Alright. Come over here, if you will." 

Levi took Eren's hand and helped him down from the chair, lifting him up again once Dr. Rusele led them over to a cot. Levi set Eren down and the kitten cocked his head from side to side. 

"Hi, Eren. You remember me, right?" Dr. Rusele asked, and Eren nodded. "I hear you're not feeling well?" 

Eren looked at Levi for the man to answer, but he didn't, so Eren nervously spoke up. "I-I feel fine..I dunno why I'm here.." the kitten murmured. "Please don't give me icky medicine."

"He's not sick. He's just been...Not himself," Levi spoke up.

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Dr. Rusele asked, beginning to look in Eren's ears and nose. 

"He doesn't play as much, he's been talking back, he's been distancing himself. I'm worried about his mental state," Levi murmured. 

"Hm..Say 'ah,' for me, Eren?" The doctor asked, and Eren opened his mouth, doing exactly what the man asked as he examined Eren's mouth. "You've grown a lot since the last time I saw you. When was that, a couple weeks ago?" Dr. Rusele asked, looking at Levi for confirmation, and Levi nodded. "Hm. And how old is Eren?"

"We're not sure exactly since I have no records of his birth..I've had him for about three months, so I'm guessing he's around 4 or 5 months," Levi explained. 

"Looks about right," Dr. Rusele agreed, nodding. "Well, Captain. I don't think there's anything wrong with the boy," the doctor said. "He just appears to be getting older." 

"That can't be all, there's got to be something wrong," Levi argued, shaking his head. 

"Eren's becoming more independent, that doesn't mean anything's wrong," Dr. Rusele explained. "He's reached adolescence. He was a toddler last time I saw him, but now he's much smarter." Eren smiled slightly at that, looking away. 

"How old is he compared to a human child?" Levi asked, scratching the back of his head. 

"I'd guess about 7 years of age," Dr. Rusele said. 

"That can't be...he couldn't even..He could barely talk when I found him.." Levi murmured in slight shock. 

"Nekos grow up fast, Captain," the doctor explained, giving a shrug. "I'd say he'll be full grown and get his head in say...3 or 4 months?" He guessed. 

"You mean like- full full grown, or just full grown?" Levi asked. 

"I don't quite-I don't quite understand what you mean, Captain.." Dr. Rusele murmured.

"You mean he'll be finished growing physically, right?" Levi asked. "He won't be an adult or anything...That'll still be years away, right?"

"No, he'll reach complete maturity," said the doctor. "It's much like when a teenager goes through puberty. He'll be considered an adult neko once he reaches his heat." 

"That... Are you..Are you sure?" Levi murmured, strict and uncaring composure cracked slightly. The doctor nodded in response, reaching over to the nearby table and opening a jar, pulling out a piece of candy cane and handing it to Eren. 

"Thank you, sir," Eren said, surprise in his voice as he began to suck on it, completely enthralled with it since Levi didn't let Eren eat sweets more than once a week or so. 

"Don't worry, a heat isn't as bad as it sounds," Dr. Rusele assured Levi. "And I'm guessing you'll have found Eren a mate by then, unless..you're his.."

"N-no, no, I'm not," Levi assured the doctor, slight panic in his voice. 

"Then you should most likely start looking for a mate for the boy, I'm sure he'll want someone to spend his heat with," said Dr. Rusele. 

"A...mate.." Levi mumbled. "I'll..I'll think about it.." Levi mumbled. 

"Alright. If you have any questions, feel free to ask," said Dr. Rusele, but Levi shook his head. "Then I suppose we're done here." He clapped his hands together, looking over at Eren. "Goodbye, Eren. It was nice to see you again," he said, and Eren nodded, candy cane still in his mouth. Levi picked the kitten up, holding him on his hip as he carried the boy out. 

Levi ignored anyone they walked by on the way to their room. Not intentionally, of course, but he was too lost in thought. Once they arrived at their room, Levi entered and let out a breath of relief, setting Eren down. 

"Levy?" Eren asked, and Levi looked at him in acknowledgement. "What's a heat?"

What little color was there drained from Levi's face. "A..A heat..?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded.

"The doctor man said I would have one when i growed up. What's that mean?" Eren asked.

"Eren..I..." Levi sighed. He would have to tell the kitten sooner or later. "A heat is...Here, come here." He picked the boy back up into his arms, carrying him over to the bed so he could sit down. He turned Eren in his lap so he could look at the boy while he spoke to him, and Eren looked at him curiously, and  **innocently.** Was Eren too young for this talk?

"Levy?" Eren asked again in confusion.

"Eren, I'm not really the best at explaining this, but...I'll try my best." The captain grabbed the book about nekos he'd picked up at the store when he first got Eren, flipping to the dreaded section labeled 'Heat,' that he'd been avoiding for so long. "See...When you get older, there'll come a time when..when you become more mature, and your body is ready to-uhm.." Levi cleared his throat. "You know how when two people fall in love and get married, like Captain Nanaba and Captain Mike, right?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. 

"They give each other lots of kisses when they think nobody is looking," Eren confirmed, a bit giggly at the thought.

 _I want to give you lots of kisses when nobody is looking,_ Levi thought to himself, admiring the little kitten's giggle. He quickly shook the idea out of his head, rubbing his neck. Why the hell did he just think that? Thank god he didn't say it out loud. He was losing it, wasn't he?

"Yes.." Levi murmured slowly in response. "Like that. Some day, they may choose to have children.." Levi spoke. "But only adults can do that. When you reach your heat, that's when you'll become an adult. You'll be able to get married and have babies- of course, only if you want," Levi spoke. Nekos couldn't legally get married, but Levi was sure Eren would understand the word 'married' better than the word 'mate.' 

"I will have kittens?" Eren asked, and Levi nodded slightly.

"Only if you want to. You and...whoever you end up falling in love with, you'll make that decision when the time comes.." Levi tried to explain. He thought about what Dr. Rusele said about finding Eren a mate. Levi knew he couldn't bring himself to do that, even if he wanted to. Eren was still so young and had decisions to make for himself. How could Levi chose who Eren was to love? That wasn't right. He would let Eren decide for himself, even if that meant he would go live somewhere else with his mate. Levi didn't want to think about that, though.

"Will we get married?" Eren asked, and Levi's eyebrows raised. 

"Eren..I don't..no, that's not...You're just a kid, I'm an old man.." Levi replied. 

"Oh. Are you my daddy?" Eren asked. Maybe Levi had his heat and had Eren?

"N-no- I'm not that, either. Remember, I found you a long time ago...I took you to live with me because you were...lost," Levi decided to say instead of reminding Eren that his mother was brutally killed in war. 

"Then...what are you?" Eren asked, cocking his head and furrowing his brows. 

"I'm...." Levi honestly had no clue what to say. "What do you want me to be?" Levi asked. 

Eren raised a finger to his chin in thought. "I want.." Eren spoke, biting his lip before continuing. "I want you to be my Levy." 

Levi let out a slight breath of amusement. "I can do that, as long as you'll be my Erebear," he spoke a bit hoarsely, pulling Eren in close for a hug. Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's neck, burying his face in it and rubbing his cheek all over the captain.

"I will always be Erebear!" Eren confirmed, smiling. 

"That reminds me, I got you a present," Levi spoke.

"A present? For me?" Eren asked. "But I was bad." He looked down guiltily, hands curling into his dress.

"You weren't bad, Eren. You just got a bit mouthy is all...You're just..voicing yourself more..." Levi murmured. "Just try not to let it happen again, alright? Just come talk to me when something is wrong."

Eren nodded slightly. "And besides, I got this a few days ago...I wasn't sure..If we should be celebrating birthdays since..You grow so fast.." Levi murmured. That wasn't even a good excuse. This present was more for Levi than Eren, you could say. "Close your eyes, and I'll go get it."

"Okay." Eren slapped his little hands over his bright green eyes to cover them up, and Levi gently sat the boy on the bed. 

"Don't open your eyes until I tell you to. Got it?" Levi asked as he got up and walked over to the closet, fishing through it for a medium sized bag. Eren nodded obediently, but excitedly. 

"Hurry, Levy! I can't hold my hands here much longer," Eren whined impatiently, kicking his little legs. 

"Spoiled brat...open your eyes," Levi said, smirking slightly as he knelt down in front of Eren, holding up the bag and placing it in Eren's lap. Eren immediately reached inside, feeling something soft between his fingers as he pulled it out. He handed the fabric to Levi so the man could hold it up for Eren to see. 

It was a brown, fuzzy, little, bear onesie, just Eren's size. 

"Bear!" Eren yelled, standing up on the bed and jumping up and down. 

"Now you can be a real Erebear," Levi spoke, holding out the onesie to the kitten. "Go try it on."

"You help me put it on, Levy," Eren requested, and Levi felt himself feel warm inside. Though, he didn't exactly know why. 

"Of course, Ere." He helped Eren take off his dress and then step into the onesie, zipping it up and pulling the hood over Eren's head. It fit perfectly, and he looked adorable. 

"How do I look?" Eren asked, happily spinning around and stomping his feet eagerly, wagging his little bear booty in the air. 

"Perfect," Levi chuckled slightly, pulling Eren in to hug the soft little bear against his chest, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. 

"You kissed me!" Eren yelled. 

"I kiss you all the time," Levi replied, looking down at Eren. 

"That one felt different," Eren replied. "Do it again." Levi didn't question the boy as he pressed a kiss to Eren's forehead. It was longer and slower than usual. 

"Is something the matter with that?" Levi asked quietly. 

"No." Eren leaned up, pressing a little kiss to Levi's chin, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck. Levi tried to ignore the heat he felt in his cheeks as he lifted Eren up and carried him to the bathroom so Eren could see himself in the mirror.

"Im a cat bear!" Eren yelled excitedly. 

"You're an Erebear," Levi replied. "My Erebear." He nuzzled Eren's cheek with his nose and blew a raspberry on the kitten's cheek to make him giggle. He'd honestly never, ever get tired of that sound.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yess ok Mike and Banaba are married in this au, I have no clue why. I couldn't think of an example of a married couple so I became a minister and married Mike and Nanaba just now, you're welcome.
> 
> why is this getting so pervy wtf Levi
> 
> Eren's bear suit - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/4e/a9/b2/4ea9b23765ff2e694d3fe8b288dbb385.jpg


	12. The Crush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was hoping I could upload this chapter this morning, but it ended up being quite a bit longer than usual! And I didn't have much time to work on it yesterday since it was Easter, plus it happened to be my boyfriend's and my one year anniversary. Okay, heerre! Enjoy :3 I would appreciate feedback on this chapter because this is the most I've written in Eren's point of view in this fic so far

Eren rarely ever took off his bear onesie. Levi had a hard time getting the kitten to take it off, so he had to have a fight with Eren about it every time Levi wanted to wash it. When Eren was wearing it, he would run and jump around, trying to growl like a fierce bear, but he honestly just sounded adorable. It'd only been about two weeks since he got it, and Levi got it a bit big, so luckily it would fit Eren for a long time. 

"Eren, time for dinner," Levi said to the kitten as he looked up. 

"That's not my name!" Eren yelled, jumping up. 

"Erebear the big bad bear," Levi corrected himself with a sigh. "It's time for dinner."

"Okay, Levy," Eren replied, jumping down from the bed and running over, hugging Levi's leg as Levi plated the rice and fish. 

"Go set the table for me, Bear," Levi requested. He handed Eren the silverware and plates, watching as the kitten stumbled over to the table, the plates heavy for him even though they weren't very heavy at all. It was cute. Levi made sure to walk behind Eren slowly to make sure the kitten wouldn't drop the food or the silverware. Eren was still so short, he had to reach up above his head to slide the plates on the table. "Thank you, Eren."

"Welcome," Eren replied, climbing up into his chair.

"Are you going to let me wash your bear suit tonight?" Levi asked as he sat down, blowing on his rice to cool it. 

"Mh-no," Eren replied, shaking his head. 

"Eren," Levi sighed. "It's filthy. Just let me wash it for you tonight."

"No! I don't wanna take it off," Eren replied, crossing his arms. 

"Alright.." Levi rubbed his forehead. Maybe he would have better luck tomorrow, or the next time he gave the kitten a bath, he could wash the onesie while Eren was in the tub. 

Eren began to messily dig into his food, getting rice all over the table and floor like usual. Levi ate much neater, of course, but he wasn't really focused on his food. Over the past two weeks, Hanji had been pestering Levi about mating Eren and Mikasa once Eren's heat came. 

"I've told you a million times, Hanji.  _No,_ " Levi had told her. 

"But Levi! Please? Eren's going to be miserable without a mate!" Hanji defended. "What if Eren wants to be with Mikasa, hm?"

"If that's what Eren wants. But I doubt he will, Hanji. Eren is much too young to make the decision right now," said Levi. "When he's older, I'll let him choose."

"Alright. Well..Make sure he chooses before his heat. I wouldn't want the poor little guy to be miserable and alone during it," Hanji replied.

"He won't be alone, I'll be with him," Levi mumbled.

"You know what I mean, Levi. He needs someone to be with him..you know, in other ways.." Hanji hinted, and Levi frowned in disgust at the thought.

"Hanji.." Levi murmured. "Why exactly does Eren need someone to do... _that_..with him while he's in heat?" Levi murmured, clearing his throat.

"His body will be craving it, Levi," Hanji explained. "For about a week, he'll be giving off different pheromones and his body will be raging with hormones, he'll be a complete mess."

"What do you mean?" Levi asked. 

"Haven't you ever seen a cat in heat before? They're so horny its almost  _painful_ ," Hanji explained with a weird, evil grin. 

"That's enough information on that," Levi mumbled in irritation. "What will you do when Mikasa goes into heat?" Levi asked, but Hanji started laughing. "What's so funny?"

"Alpha nekos don't go into heat, Levi," she chuckled. 

"How am I supposed to know that?" Levi grumbled sourly. 

"Most people do. Hell, even Erwin knows it," said Hanji.

"Then why do you want Mikasa and Eren to mate so bad if Mikasa won't even have a heat?" Levi wondered.

"Just because alphas don't have heats, that doesn't mean they don't want a mate, Levi," said Hanji. "When their mate goes into heat, the pheromones will affect them as well, putting them both into a sort of-sex frenzy."

"Does it affect humans?" Levi asked. 

"Mh, yes. Not quite as strongly, though. But each neko is different," said Hanji, and Levi nodded slowly. If Eren went into heat around Levi, would it send  _Levi_ into a sex frenzy? "So, I want you to think about it and-hey! come back here!" Hanji yelled as Levi turned on his heel and began walking away. 

"I've got to go, Hanji," Levi lied. He wasn't ready to think about this stuff. 

So that's why, now was Eren ate his food, Levi couldn't stop staring at him.He was just a kid in a bear costume, how could Hanji even think about asking Eren to mate with someone? Especially when that someone was Mikasa? 

It wasn't like Levi hated Mikasa or anything, it was just...She was so protective over Eren and Armin, it sort of made him uncomfortable. Protecting Eren was Levi's job, not Mikasa's. She made Eren happy and they had a lot of fun together, but being mates? No, their relationship wasn't like that. Hanji just didn't know Eren as well as Levi.

"Levy?" Eren asked, cocking his head. 

"Hm?" Levi looked up from his plate.

"Why are you sad?" The kitten asked in confusion.

"What? I'm not sad, Eren," Levi assured the kitten. 

"But you looked sad," said Eren, furrowing his brows.

"I was just thinking about some stuff. That doesn't mean I'm sad," Levi explained. 

"Oh.." Eren said, nodding. "What kinds of things you thinking about, Levy?"

"Stupid stuff," Levi replied. "Nothing you should worry about. Now, finish eating before it gets cold."

Once they'd finished dinner, Levi lifted Eren up to the sink so the kitten could wash the dishes as Levi instructed him how to scrub them properly, and he was rather proud of Eren's work. He'd really taught the kitten well when it came to cleaning, hadn't he? "You're getting good at cleaning, Bear."

"Thank you, Levy," said Eren as the captain set him down, handing the boy a towel so he could dry his hands. 

"You should do the dishes every night," Levi suggested, and Eren's face twisted up slightly.

"Mhh...No...it's not that fun, Levy," Eren giggled, handing Levi the towel before running over to the bed, jumping up on it and crawling in. He buried himself beneath the covers, poking his face out. 

"Brat.." said Levi, tossing the towel in the hamper before following Eren to the bed, crawling in beside him and pulling Eren into a bear hug, tickling him under his armpits. 

"Levy!" Eren squealed in laughter, cheeks turning red as he tried to escape. Levi finally released Eren from his grasp, and the kitten immediately crawled up on top of him, as if he was trying to pin Levi down. Eren stopped his giggling, breathing slightly heavy as he stared down at Levi, eyes locking with the older's as they both quieted down. 

"Eren?" Levi asked in confusion.

"What?" Eren whispered in reply, not breaking his eye contact with Levi.

"Are you alright?" Levi asked. Eren had this weird look on his face, one that Levi had never seen before. The kitten looked eerily calm..

"I am, Levi," Eren replied. 

"D-did you just call me Levi?" Levi asked in surprise. Eren had never, ever used Levi's real name. 

Eren nodded slowly. "Is that okay?" He asked the captain. 

"I..I suppose...but why did you call me that?" Levi asked, and Eren shrugged slightly.

"That's your name, isn't it?" The kitten asked, and Levi gave a slight nod. 

"You know you can still call me Levy any time you want, right?" Levi asked the kitten. "You don't have to call me what everyone else calls me...After all, you are special to me."  Eren blushed, biting his bottom lip and staring down at Levi.

"You think I'm special?" Eren asked.

"Of course I do, Eren. You're the most special out of anyone I've ever known," Levi assured the boy. "I thought you knew that already. You're my special little bear."

"I-I knew that-" Eren stammered. "I knew that, Levy." He brought himself into a laying position on top of Levi, snuggling his face into the older's neck as Levi's firm arms wrapped around Eren protectively. "I love you, Levy."

"I love you too.." Levi replied quietly, gently rubbing Eren's back. Was Eren doing alright? 

Eren rubbed his cheek against Levi's neck, marking him with his scent as he purred loudly. He felt so close to Levi right now, and Levi's words meant so much to him. He supposed he'd never understood how important he was to Levi, but he knew that his Levy was just as important to him. He loved Levi more than anything, even more than his bear onesie, and even more than Armin. Though, he still did love Armin a lot, but...not the same way as he loved Levi. He couldn't figure out what it was. Why did he feel different about Levi than he did others? Was it because Levi took care of him? Yes, that did play a part in it, but...Levi just made Eren feel...Different. 

"Go to sleep now, Eren," Levi spoke softly, and Eren nodded, dipping his face into Levi's neck to get comfy as Levi pulled the blanket over them. He didn't have to be told twice anymore to go to sleep. Levi rubbed Eren's back, the kitten not fighting sleep one bit, which allowed him to be out cold in minutes.

_"Muma," Eren whined, but there was no answer. He was all alone, and it was pitch black. He was completely alone, no one there to help him. He didn't know where his mother was, and he had no clue how to get out. All he could hear were loud explosions and yelling, and he couldn't figure out why people would do such things to each other. Why was everyone fighting each other? Why did it have to destroy his home?_

_He was cold, and everything hurt, especially his tail and one of his ears, which was bleeding. He just wanted his muma back, why was that so much to ask? He just wanted to be safe again._

_He didn't know how long he'd been trapped in the rubble, but after some time, he'd cried himself to sleep. He'd only awoken again once he heard footsteps somewhere above him. "_ _Muma?" He asked, starting to mew softly, and when there was no reply, he felt the tears coming again. Rain was leaking through the cracks in the rubble, soaking the shaking kitten. Nobody was coming to save him. Or so he thought._

_A hand grabbed his tail, yanking on it, and Eren yelped._

_"Oi...what the.." A low, unfamiliar voice spoke. Eren had no clue who this was, and it terrified him. He'd been told about the terrible people in the world..what if this was one of them?_

_Rubble was pushed aside, hands reaching down into the hole Eren had been trapped in. "You're a...a neko," the man said, peering down at him with blue-gray eyes, the color of the sky after a storm. "Come on. I'm here to help." Eren had no clue who this man was, but he allowed the man to lift him up into his strong arms. He couldn't remember a time when he'd felt so safe._

Eren gasped, eyes snapping open. He winced at the sunlight that shined directly in his eyes, bringing a hand up to cover them. It was already morning? He sat up, rubbing his eyes before turning to look at Levi, who was still asleep. He gently crawled off the over and to the edge of the bed, hopping down as quietly as he could. He pulled up the hood of his bear onesie to cover his messy bedhead, but strands of chestnut hair still poked out here and there...Eren didn't really care, though. He skipped into the kitchen, looking around. Usually, Levi woke up before him, or Eren would wake Levi up if the kitten awoke first. Sometimes, Levi would even have breakfast ready for Eren when he woke up. Eren decided that he wanted to do something nice for Levi, too.

He wandered in circles around the kitchen before he decided he would make Levi tea with bread and honey. The bread and honey were easy, so Eren decided to do those first. He pulled out all the kitchen drawers looking for the ingredients, but he couldn't seem to find them. So, he knew they must be on the higher shelves that he couldn't reach. He pulled out drawers and used them as stairs to climb up onto the counter, carefully standing up to open up the cabinets until he found a loaf of fresh bread, and in the spice cabinet, a jar of honey. He set them down carefully, almost dropping the heavy jar of honey. He breathed a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead. Levi would  **not** be happy to wake up to that mess. He carefully climbed down, hopping onto the floor. Next was the tea...Now..how did Levi do that again? The teapot was by the stove, but how did Levi make the tea? 

Right, he filled it up with water. Eren took the teapot, having to carry it with both hands as he stumbled over to the sink. He set the teapot on the counter, climbing up after it so he could reach the sink properly to fill up the pot. He managed to fill it up and get it back to the stove, barely spilling any water on the way back. He grabbed the matches in the drawer, having to waste 5 or 6 trying to figure out how to light it before he managed to strike the match correctly, using the small flame to light the stove to heat up Levi's tea. So far, it was pretty much a success. He threw the discarded matches away before pulling out the drawers again to form stairs, climbing up them to get onto the counter. He needed to find sugar, but he wasn't even sure if they had any. He'd never seen Levi put sugar in his tea, but he had seen Hanji do it before, so he decided to get some just in case. But of course, he couldn't find any. Levi rarely put sugar on anything, and he surely didn't bake, so Levi almost never kept sugar in the kitchen. 

Eren sighed in defeat, hopping down from the counter, but to his surprise, his feet didn't hit the ground. He gasped as he felt himself be jerked back, a ripping sound filling the room. "Ah!-" Eren turned slightly, surprised to see a drawer handle had gotten caught on his bear onesie, leaving him hanging from the knob of the drawer. "Oh no.." Eren wiggled back and forth, trying to free himself, but he was utterly stuck. This was it, this was where he would live forever, hanging like a Christmas tree ornament. Eren had already accepted his fate, sighing as his head hung from his shoulders...Well, pretty much everything was hanging at this point. 

Eren looked up when the teapot began to whistle, trying to reach for it, but he was far from close. "Mh-ergh!" Eren whined, kicking his legs before giving up, flattening his ears against his head. 

"Eren?" A tired voice came. Eren looked up at the sound, ears perking up again when he saw Levi.

"Oh. Hi, Levy," Eren replied casually. 

"Eren..what are you.." Levi moved to take the whistling teapot off the stove before turning to look back at Eren, crossing his arms. "What exactly are you doing?" 

"Just..uhm..you know,  _hanging around,_ " Eren replied. "I made you breaky-fast, Levy."

"Did you, now?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. "Hm..Still doesn't explain why you're hanging from a drawer handle." 

"I..did it on purpose," Eren lied, shrugging. 

"Mhm..I bet you did. So, I'm guessing you don't want my help getting down," Levi replied, and Eren's eyes widened. 

"Uh-Levy-"

"Yes, Eren?" 

"I would like help," Eren admitted. "Pleease, Levy."

"Hmm.." Levi tapped his chin. "What's in it for me?"

" _Levy,_ " Eren whined. 

"Alright, alright. I suppose since you made me breakfast..and since you're cute," Levi teased, lifting Eren down and setting him on the floor. 

"Thank you, Levy!" said Eren, running around in circles around Levi.

"Oi, don't run in the kitchen," Levi scolded, grabbing Eren by the arm to pull him up into Levi's arms. "But you're welcome." He kissed Eren's cheek, making Eren blush and giggle. "So, you made breakfast, did you?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded with pride. 

"I made bread and honey and tea," Eren replied quickly, and Levi glanced over at the bread and honey Eren set on the counter. "I see that, Bear. It looks delicious," Levi replied. He opened a cabinet, getting out a bag of tea and handing it to Eren before he lifted the lid of the tea pot. "Want to put the tea bag in?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded, dropping it in with a plop. "Good," Levi praised, closing the lid. "Now, we'll let that steep while we prepare the bread and honey. But next time, Eren, don't use the stove without my permission. I don't want you to burn yourself, alright?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded obediently. 

"I'm sorry, Levy," the kitten said, lowering his head in shame. 

"Oi, don't be. I'm proud of you for doing this all by yourself, I just wouldn't want to see your pretty little hands get hurt, is all," Levi replied. taking Eren's hands in his own larger hand. He brought them up to his lips, pressing kisses to each finger before he set Eren down in a chair at the table. He brought the bread and honey over, along with plates and a butter knife, setting them down as he sat down in the chair next to Eren, but Eren crawled in his lap anyway. They worked together to spread the honey on the bread, trying to be as neat as possible, but they both ended up as sticky messes. But luckily, they both cleaned up easy. 

Levi watched as Eren ran back over to the table as Levi poured the tea, hands still wet from washing them. There was a hole in Eren's bear onesie, right where his butt was, showing off the little round tushie. Levi couldn't help his slight smirk as he stared, watching Eren climb up into the chair. "Bear, I think you've got a little back door now, hm?" Levi asked.

"Huh?" Eren asked, trying to spin around to look at his ass. 

"Nevermind," Levi chuckled, sitting down across from Eren once he had poured his tea.  He rested his chin on his hand, sighing as he looked at Eren. 

"What, Levy?" Eren asked, cocking his head. 

"Nothin,' kid, don't worry about it," said Levi, moving to take a sip of his tea. "I've got to get ready for work soon, it's Wednesday," Levi reminded the boy with a sigh. 

"I don't wanna go, Levy, I wanna spend the day here with you," Eren complained, pouting. 

"I know, kid. I wish we could do that every day, but unfortunately, the world costs money," said Levi. "Someone's gotta keep us fed."

Eren sighed. "I know, Levy." 

"Finish up your breakfast, then we'll get dressed. And you'll have to wear real clothes today, Eren.." said Levi. 

"But Levy-"

"No buts," said Levi.  _Literally._

They finished up their breakfast and Levi did the cleaning up while Eren put on his white collared, navy blue dress, along with light blue knee-highs and blue Mary Janes to match. 

"You like blue today, Bear?" Levi asked as he peered around the counter. 

"It's rainy out," Eren replied. "I dressed blue, like the rain. And your eyes.." said Eren. "Blue is my favorite color."

"Oh? I thought it was pink," said Levi, walking in the room to begin putting on his uniform. 

"It was. But now it's blue," Eren replied. "Gray-blue." 

"Hm.." Levi replied. Did Eren really like blue because of his eyes? Eren was still so young, but it was such a thoughtful thing to say. Levi looked out the window, staring at the sky. It really was the color of his eyes. 

Levi put on his uniform and combed his hair back, then the two brushed their teeth together, like always. Soon enough, Levi was slipping a little yellow rain jacket on Eren and pulling up the hood so he wouldn't get wet. He took Eren's hand, leading the kitten out. They walked down the halls until they were outside, Eren releasing Levi's hand to go stomp around in puddles. In his nice Mary Janes. 

Levi just sighed, waving it off. Eren probably wouldn't fit into them anymore in a week or two, anyway. Besides, it was cute to watch. Levi let Eren jump around for a little while before calling Eren back to him, leading him to the base. He walked inside, helping Eren get his coat off. 

"Hello, hello! Glad to see you showed up," Hanji joked. 

"Hanji! It's us!" Eren yelled excitedly, running over. 

"Really? From far away, you look just like Commander Erwin!" She chuckled. 

"W-what? Really??" Eren asked. 

"Mhm. Big and tall, just like him," Hanji giggled. 

"Eren!" Armin yelled, waving the brunette over, and Eren immediately ran off to his friend, leaving a trail of mud behind him. 

"How'd he get so dirty?" Hanji asked Levi. 

"Do you even have to ask?" Levi sighed. 

Eren ran over, sitting down next to Armin. Mikasa was sitting at the table next to Hanji, but immediately abandoned whatever she had been snacking on to join her friends. "Hi," said Eren as Mikasa sat down.

"Eren, you're all gross and dirty," said Mikasa. 

"He always is," Armin giggled. "He makes the captain all mad!"

"I do not, Levi loves me even when I'm dirty," Eren defended, sticking out his tongue. 

"Levi? What happened to Levy?" Mikasa asked. 

"I call him that when I want," said Eren, and Mikasa shrugged. Eren watched Levi from afar, eyes not leaving the older. 

"Why are you so obsessed with him?" Mikasa asked, crossing her arms. 

"Eren has a crush on him," Armin suggested.

"What's a crush?" Eren asked. 

"Uhm.." Armin paused in thought. "Hanji said it's when you love someone a whole lot."

"But that would mean I have a crush on everyone," said Eren.

"No, like..uhh... well, that's what I said at first, too. But Hanji said it's like when you wanna get old and marry them, and have their babies or something..." Armin replied. 

"Oh.." Eren looked back over at Levi. "Then I do have a crush on Levi."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh my baby bear is growing up so fast!
> 
> Eren's outfit - http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1.PyiJXXXXXafaXXXq6xXFXXXC/Autumn-Spring-Classic-Drape-Half-Sleeve-peter-pan-collar-Vintage-children-clothing-baby-girls-dresses-Toddler.jpg
> 
> Eren's raincoat - http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513Z3i0yoDL._SY355_.jpg


	13. The Runaway Kitten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fuckkkk I'm so sad spring break is over. I just want to be on spring break forever, would that be acceptable?

"You do?" Armin asked, and Mikasa crossed her arms. 

"That's gross. He's old," said Mikasa. "And short."

"He's a little old, but I think he's real tall and real cute," Eren defended. "You're just jealous."

"I'm not jealous of old, short men. Besides, he always looks like he's angry," said Mikasa, lying down on the floor. 

"You always look like you're angry!" Eren pointed out. 

"I am always angry," Mikasa confirmed. "I hate everybody."

"Oh.." said Eren, and Armin shrugged. "Well, Levi doesn't hate nobody, he's too nice," said Eren. "He seems mean sometimes, but it's only because you don't know him like I do...He gets me presents and holds me while I sleep. Nobody else I know does that," said Eren.

"Erwin does that for me, too!" Armin yelled excitedly. 

 _Probably not as good as my Levi does it_ , Eren thought to himself, but he of course didn't say it. "When I get old some day and have a heat, I bet you Levi'll wanna marry me," said Eren.

"Humans don't want to marry nekos. We're pets, Eren," said Mikasa. "Nekos belong with nekos, humans belong with humans."

"What makes us so different from humans?" Eren asked. "Just 'cause we have ears and a tail? That's not fair and you know it, Mikasa."

"I didn't make up the rules. I'm just telling you what I heard, Eren," Mikasa replied. "You can try and marry Levi if you want. But people don't want to marry nekos."

"We'll see," Eren mumbled. Mikasa and Armin always proved to outsmart him, but this time,  _he_  was the one who would be right. Of course, Armin fully supported him, but he would be right against Mikasa, at least. 

"Captain!" a soldier ran in, running over to Levi and Hanji, who stood up immediately. Eren's head quickly spun in their direction, and he stood up. 

"Captain-" The soldier wheezed, out of breath. He looked like he had run all the way here.

"Out with it. What's the matter?" Levi snapped.

"Sina-they're attacking," the soldier stammered, and Eren's eyes widened. Attacking? Attacking who? 

Eren knew about the war, but not much. Levi rarely ever told him any details, not wanting to scare him.

"Shit," Levi hissed. "Where's Erwin?" 

"The commander? He-he's already on his way to the battle site," the soldier confirmed, and Eren looked back at Armin, who suddenly looked like he was about to burst into tears. 

"H-alright. Hanji, you bring the kittens to Nanaba and Mike's. Tell Nanaba to care for the kittens until we get back, and tell Mike to come with us.  _Now,_ " Levi said in a rushed tone, beginning to stock up on blades and gas. "You," said Levi, pointing at the soldier. "Ring the alarm."

"Y-yes sir!" The soldier responded, saluting before running off. 

"L-Levi?" Eren asked worriedly, voice scared from where he stood in shock. What was going on?

"Eren-" Levi turned back around, making his way to the kitten in a few quick strides, kneeling down before him and taking his hands. "Listen to me, alright?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. "I won't be gone long, but I don't know for how long. Some very bad people are attacking very innocent people, and it's my job to go help them. You have to stay here with Hanji, and she's going to take you to Nanaba. Stay with Nanaba until I come back to get you, understand?" Levi asked, and Eren shakily nodded. "Ere, you don't have to be scared. Nanaba will take good care of you three, and I promise, I'll be back as soon as I can." He pulled Eren in, kissing his forehead before standing up. Eren didn't even have time to say anything before Levi was running off in the other direction. Eren could feel tears welling up, but he held them back, telling himself that he wouldn't cry. He could already hear Armin crying behind him, but he turned around to comfort his friend instead of giving in to his own fears. 

"Alright, come on, hurry," said Hanji, rushing over to pick Eren and Armin up, using her free hand to hold Mikasa's hand as she led them out of the room quickly, not even bothering to put on their jackets as she led them outside into the pouring ran and back to the barracks. By the time they arrived back, they were all soaked, but Hanji just continued carrying the two omegas and leading the alpha by the hand up the stairs and down a few hallways until she reached a door. "Nanaba! Mike! You in there?" Hanji called, knocking on the door, and it opened a few seconds later. Mike opened the door, sniffing the air. 

"Sina is attacking?" He asked. How the hell could he tell that just by smell? 

Hanji nodded in response. "Yes-it's bad. Levi and Erwin have already gone off to the fight, they told me to fetch you. And we need Nanaba to watch the kittens- they have no place else to go."

Mike nodded. "She's not been assigned to the battlefield for unplanned attacks, she'll be staying here," Mike confirmed. "Bring them in."

"Hanji? Hey, what's the matter? You're soaked," said Nanaba as she entered from the kitchen. 

"Sina's attacking, Mike said you could watch the kittens," said Hanji, setting Eren and Armin down and letting go of Mikasa's hand. 

"Of course-" said Nanaba. "Mike, you have to go?"

Mike only nodded silently. "I'll be safe," he said simply, and Nanaba nodded. They had a lot of faith in each other, more than a normal couple did. If Mike said he was coming back, Nanaba had no doubts.

"Thank you," Hanji breathed. "Mikasa, I'll be back as soon as I can. Watch out for Eren and Armin, alright? Come on, Mike," Hanji said quickly, and the two dashed out the door. Armin was still bawling, Mikasa just looked irritated that she was soaking wet, and Eren just looked confused. He'd never had to have Levi just leave him like this.

"Oh-you're all soaked," said Nanaba, walking over to the closet and pulling out a pile of towels before returning and beginning to dry off Armin first since he was crying. Eren took a towel, wrapping it around himself. 

"Nanaba, where did Levi go?" Eren asked. 

"To fight in the war, Eren, you know that," Nanaba replied, looking up from the towel she was using to dry Armin's hair. 

"I mean where exactly," said Eren. "The place that he went to."

"I..I'm not sure," Nanaba replied. "Maybe somewhere on the outskirts of Rose? Don't worry yourself with that, Eren. You can ask him when he gets back."

Eren simply nodded, looking down. He couldn't help being worried. Levi said those people were dangerous...what if they hurt him?

"Why don't we go sit by the fire to warm up?" Nanaba suggested, offering Eren her hand, and Eren reluctantly took it, letting Nanaba lead them over to the lit fireplace. She added some more wood to the fire, causing a few sparks to fly. "So, what did you all do today?" Nanaba asked as Armin crawled into her lap. Eren just laid down on his stomach, staring into the fireplace and zoning out. He didn't want to be here, inside where it was warm, when he knew Levi was out in the cold rain. It wasn't fair, not fair at all. He wanted Levi to be with him in their warm room, snuggled up in bed where they could read stories. 

Eren slowly stood up, turning around. "Eren? Do you need something?" Nanaba asked. 

"I...I have to go get my Levy!" Eren yelled, dashing off toward the door as Nanaba yelled for him to stop. Eren reached the door before Nanaba could even get up to stop him, and he ran down the first hallway he saw. 

"Eren! Wait!" Nanaba yelled in panic, but Eren was already out of sight. "M-Mikasa- You go that way and look for Eren, Armin and I will go this way. But don't leave the barracks," Nanaba instructed, and Mikasa nodded obediently, slipping between Nanaba's legs and dashing down the hall as Nanaba took Armin in the opposite direction. 

But, Eren was long gone by then. He ran outside into the rain, looking around. It was so dark despite being early afternoon, and Eren could barely see a thing from how hard it was raining. He ran over to the stables to see if Levi's horse was still there, but it was gone. That meant Levi was already gone, too.  But he couldn't be too far away, could he? 

Eren began running, running for the dirt road that led to the base. He finally reached it, already soaked and exhausted just from running, but that didn't stop him from beginning to run down the road in search of Levi.

There was no one in sight, but Eren was sure he could catch up to everyone if he ran fast enough. "Levi!" He called, panting as he ran. "Levy!" 

He was starting to panic, wanting to get to Levi before anything happened to the man. He didn't want to think about any bad guys hurting his Levy, even though he knew Levi was probably strong enough to fight off a hundred bad guys at once. 

Eren forced himself to go faster, gasping as he tripped on the uneven road, tumbling to the ground and receiving a face full of mud. He sat up, coughing and trying to wipe off his face before he burst into tears. "Levy-" The boy sobbed, still trying to wipe off all the mud that covered his face and pretty dress. He was freezing on top of it, soaked from the rain. Maybe he wouldn't be able to find Levi. Maybe he just had to accept that Levi could handle this on his own. 

Eren stood up on shaky legs, sniffling as he looked around. There were several dirt paths he could have come down, but he couldn't remember which one he came from. And the rain had washed away any footprints. "H-hello?" Eren asked, hoping there was someone out there to help him, but there was nobody. He looked around nervously before running for a random road, heading down it. Hopefully this would lead to Levi or back to the barracks, but in his heart he knew that he was completely and utterly

_**lost.** _

* * *

"Captain Levi," Erwin spoke firmly once Levi pulled up on his horse, the sounds of cannons ringing through their ears in the background. 

"Erwin, cut it with the formalities. What's going on?" Levi asked, gray eyes narrowing just as Hanji pulled up behind him, along with Mike. 

"Sina is trying to take down wall Rose. They think they can win the battle by using the titans against us," Erwin explained. 

"What's our counter?" Hanji quickly asked. 

"Defense, that's all we have right now," Erwin replied. 

"Defense? We need to run those bastards out of here," Levi growled. "Do they even realize what kind of damage they're causing? Do they want the rest of humanity to die?"

"They're too greedy for their own good, Levi," Erwin replied. "They won't listen, we've already tried telling them that. The most we can do is drive them back to wall Sina," said Erwin. "It's mostly canon and gun fire at the moment, but we need to drive them out with the soldiers. They may have more numbers, but our soldiers are much more skilled in combat, and they know it," said Erwin. 

"So what's our first move?" Hanji asked. 

"To get rid of their cannons," Levi replied monotonously. "Take the cannons we have and aim for Sina's canons." 

"Good, Levi," said Erwin, nodding. He yelled something to a young soldier, who saluted in reply and flew off with his 3DMG. 

"How many squads do we have?" Levi asked. 

"Five made up of 24 soldiers each..." Erwin replied. "Barely a hundred soldiers in all now that we've lost some." 

"So we'll divide up the squads, attack from all angles, yeah?" Hanji suggested, and Levi and Erwin both nodded. 

"Levi, you take squad one. Your squad members are in there. I'll handle squad two, Hanji squad 3, and Mike squad four," Erwin replied. "Rico's already managing squad five. You two will come in from the left," said Erwin, pointing to Hanji and Levi. "Mike and I from the right, Rico from the front. We should be able to cage them against wall Sina, leaving them no choice but to retreat."

"Hm." Levi nodded in approval. This had to be their best bet right now-actually, it was there only option. The sooner this was over, the faster he could get back to Eren.

* * *

 

Eren's running eventually turned to walking, then died down to stumbling through the rain. He was exhausted and scared, and he didn't know where Levi was. He could barely see because of the weather and the dark skies, which made it even harder for him to tell where he was. There were no buildings around besides abandoned ones, and it was like the whole place was dead. 

The gentle trotting of hooves and the squeaky wheels of a carriage could be heard from down the road, and a silhouette came into view. Finally, someone who could help him.

"Help! Please help!" Eren called, running toward the carriage. "Please help, I'm lost!" He yelled over the sound of the pouring rain, finally able to see a man and woman in the carriage. 

"Get lost, I don't have any money," the old man driving the carriage barked, snapping the reins to force his horse to speed past Eren and down the road, splashing the kitten with even more muddy water, leaving him all alone again. 

"Please.." Eren whispered, though the carriage was already gone. "Levy.." 

He wandered down the road quite a ways more, exhausted. The sky was getting darker and darker, and Eren knew he'd spent hours wandering around here. What little daylight there was was slowly disappearing, and so was Eren's energy. He stumbled over to a little pile of rotting wood that was obviously abandoned on the side of the road, but there was a little opening under the pile, just big enough for Eren to crawl underneath, so that's what he did. He crawled though the mud and slid into the little opening, the stench of rotting wood filling his nostrils. It really wasn't anything to help keep him warm or dry, but it made him feel a little bit safer at least. He closed his eyes, burying his face in his arms and letting out a sob. He'd tried to help Levi, but he'd only managed to get himself into trouble. What would Levi say when he got home and found out Eren had run off like an idiot?

* * *

 

 The fight had been shorter than anticipated. With the use of 3DMG, they were easily able to push wall Sina back. Though, they weren't able to avoid the some 40 casualties from their side, which was almost half of what they'd started out with. 

Levi trudged toward Erwin, both of them soaked and dirty, Levi sporting a slight limp. "Do you know how many fucking innocent lives we lost today?" Levi growled. 

"I do," Erwin replied solemnly, putting his head down. "If I could change that, Levi, I would."

"Then fucking do something, Erwin," Levi growled. 

"Levi, you know I can't. You're exhausted and you're not thinking straight. Go home, don't worry about the clean up. Just go home," Erwin replied quietly. Levi didn't say a word as he turned on his heel, stomping off toward his horse with what little energy he had left. He swung himself up onto his horse's back, snapping the reins. He couldn't help but glare at Erwin as his horse galloped off, the wind and rain whipping Levi's face as it went. Levi didn't even care anymore, he felt numb. He wasn't even sure if he would be able to enjoy being back in his room with Eren, though he knew the kitten would end up stealing Levi's heart and making him smile, like always. But it didn't make up for how much they'd fucked up, for how much  **he** had fucked up. He'd let so many innocent people die, and here he was, not even helping take care of their bodies. 

He was worthless. He couldn't even protect humanity from themselves. How the hell were they supposed to win this war when everyone would be dead before it finished. Who was next to die? Erwin? Hanji?  **Eren?**  

No, Levi couldn't even think about that. He would never let that happen, not in a million years.

He rode through the night air, pulling on his horse's reins to stop her once they had neared the stables. He dismounted, leading her into her stable. She was soaked, and obviously exhausted as well. "I'm sorry. You did good out there, girl," Levi addressed her, stroking her nose before removing her saddle, then making sure to feed her a few carrots. She deserved it after all this. 

He exited, slowly making his way into the barracks, where the warm air instantly hit him, and only then did he realize how cold he had been. But it didn't matter now, he'd have a warm bath as soon as he collected Eren from Nanaba.

He made his way up to the third floor, knocking on her door. There was no answer, so he knocked harder. He heard footsteps behind the door before it opened a crack, Nanaba peering out, a hopeful look on her face, but it soon turned worried and sad once she saw it was Levi. 

"I've come to collect Eren, I hope I didn't wake you," said Levi. "Is he asleep?" 

"I.." Nanaba opened the door fully. "Soon after you left, he.."

"He what, Nanaba? Did he give you trouble?" Levi asked, running a hand through his hair. Damn it, Eren. Now was not the time to misbehave.

"He..he ran off," said Nanaba.

"I'm sorry that he gave you trouble like that, I'll give him a talking to. It's hard for him when I'm not close by," Levi explained. "Is he asleep now?"

"No..Levi, he.." Nanaba said, voice scared. "He didn't come back."

Levi's eyebrow raised as his eyes narrowed as he tried to process what Nanaba told him. "What do you  _mean,_ he didn't come back?" Levi asked in disbelief. 

"He ran off, saying he was looking for you- we looked for him for hours, but we couldn't find him. I thought maybe..he'd somehow found his way to you, I didn't know what to do," said Nanaba, eyes teary. 

"No, he didn't fucking find his way to me!" Levi snapped. "You're telling me Eren is missing and you've been sitting in your room this whole time instead of looking for him?!"

"I-I looked for hours and hours, but I had Armin and Mikasa with me and I was afraid they'd get sick out in the rain too long, I had no choice but to bring them back here.." Nanaba tried to explain.

"You-so you-" Levi couldn't even begin to describe how angry he was. If Eren had been missing since around the time Levi left, then.. "Eren has been missing for over 10 hours, and you didn't send anybody to contact me?!" Levi growled. "You didn't even fucking try to look for him, did you? What, do you fucking enjoy letting the most important person to me run away and die? Is that it?" Levi snapped at Nanaba, stepping closer to her, which made her flinch.

"Captain-I said I'm sorry-" Nanaba choked out, as she was crying now. 

"Do you know how bad the conditions are out there? You fucking said that Mikasa and Armin were at risk of getting sick after only an hour or two and I bet you bundled them all up, but what about Eren? How do you fucking think he's fairing out there in the dark rain? If he hasn't been hit by a carriage already or fucking kidnapped. You know what? No-I don't have time for you. Go fuck yourself, I need to find Eren," he growled at Nanaba, leaving her utterly shocked as Levi stormed away. "Tell the others what you've done when they get back, unless you decide to lose Armin and Mikasa, too. Cunt," Levi called over his shoulder at  the crying Nanaba as his stomping turned to a weird running, unable to jog properly with his twisted ankle. He knew he should be resting right now and put it on ice, but he didn't have time for that. Eren was fucking missing, and Levi didn't even know where to begin looking. He ran back out into the rain, heading down toward the stables. 

"I'm sorry, but I've got to take you back out there," Levi said, waking up his dozing horse as he swung open the stable door. "But my baby is missing, and I won't be much good on foot." 

The horse huffed through it's nose, almost as if it understood that her duties weren't over yet. Levi saddled her back up again, mounting her. "Hya!" Levi snapped the reins and she bolted off, faster than before and into the pitch black night. "Eren!" He called over the wind, steering his horse down the dirt road, but there was no sign of him. Fuck. 

But Levi refused to give up, riding down each and every street he thought possible for Eren to go down. Was it possible that Eren had been taken? 

It was entirely possible, especially in this fucked up world. A lonely, beautiful neko, lost and traveling alone. He was the perfect target for some creep to snatch him up. That scared Levi to death. 

"Eren!" Levi called, but his voice was so hoarse, it was barely audible. He'd been looking for hours by now, and yet there was still no sign of-

Levi cut off his thoughts when he saw a hint of blue in the road, tucked in the mud. Curiosity got the better of him and he jumped off his horse, running over and digging the blue thing out of the mud. It was a blue mary jane, the same kind Eren had been wearing that morning. Fuck, this was definitely Eren's shoe. "Eren!" Levi yelled, standing up and looking around frantically, but there was no sign of the kitten. He held the blue mary jane against his chest as he hopped onto his horse, snapping the reins to make her speed down the road as he searched left and right for the kitten. He passed abandoned buildings, things that had already been destroyed by the war. Nobody lived out here anymore, and Levi wasn't sure if Eren would even be in this direction, despite the finding of the shoe. Eren could've easily just turned around and gone in a different direction, after all, his shoe could have been there for hours. 

Levi tried not to think about it, just riding faster as he called for Eren, for at least another hour. 

Levi was exhausted, and there was no sign of Eren besides the blue Mary Jane. Levi's horse was exhausted as well, only able to trot along slowly. What if Levi never found Eren? What would he do? 

His horse veered off the road, trotting into the grass. "Oi-" Levi snapped, pulling on the reins, but she refused to go back on the road, trotting toward a pile of wood. "Stop it, go back on the road. We don't have time for this, Eren's missing," Levi snapped at the horse, but she continued toward the pile of wood, where Levi assumed she had seen the best grass to eat. She stopped by the pile, sniffing around before munching on the long green grass there, and Levi sighed. He was still soaked, but at least it was only drizzling now. 

Something moved within the pile of wood, making the horse jump and whinny, almost bucking Levi off. "Easy-easy girl-it's probably only a rabbit," Levi told her, but a little round face poked out, eyes droopy with sleep. 

"Levy?" Eren asked, cocking his head as Levi stared down at him in shock. He was hallucinating, he was so exhausted. He was going crazy, wasn't he? 

"Ere...?" Levi murmured, rubbing his eyes, but Eren was still there. He wasn't hallucinating-he'd found his Eren. "Eren." Levi hopped off his horse, almost falling from how fast he had, but he didn't fall until he reached the wood pile, and that was only to fall to his knees in front of Eren. He quickly reached in, pulling the dirty kitten out of the pile, clutching him against his chest. "Eren, what the hell? What were you doing in there? There could've been snakes, there could have-there could have been-"

"Levy, you found me," Eren whispered in relief, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck. Levi stopped his blabbering, shaky hands coming up to rub Eren's back as he held him close. 

"Of course I did, Eren," Levi whispered. "I wasn't going to stop looking until I did." 

"I didn't want nothin' to happen to you, Levy-" Eren said, shaking his head. 

"Is that why you ran away from Nanaba, hm?" Levi asked, and Eren looked down guiltily. 

"Yes, Levy..I'm sorry," Eren croaked. "Please don't be mad, I-I didn't know-and I gotted lost."

"I'm not mad, Eren," Levi whispered, pulling away slightly to look down at Eren, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek. "I'm not mad." 

"I just wanted to save you," Eren admitted quietly, tears in his eyes. 

"You already have," Levi whispered, leaning forward a bit to press his lips to Eren's forehead. "We both got ourselves into a bit of trouble tonight, didn't we?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded slightly. 

"It's because I love you," said Eren. "I have a crush on you.."

"Eren.." said Levi. "I don't think that's the case." He gave Eren a tired smile, ruffling his hair. "I love you too, though. But I think we both owe Nanaba an apology when we get back, yeah? Probably more me than you.." Levi mumbled a bit guiltily. 

Eren frowned when Levi didn't believe that Eren had a crush on him, but he would find a way to show Levi soon enough. He nodded, leaning up to kiss Levi's cheek. "I'll prove it," Eren said quietly. 

"Prove what? You must be exhausted, Erebear. Come on..Let's get you home," said Levi, standing up and lifting Eren up with him.

"Nothin', Levy," Eren replied innocently. "You'll see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ehehehehehe
> 
> P.s. I'm sorry if it says Banana at some parts instead of Nanaba...I can't fight the autocorrect


	14. The Kiss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok...I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but I would really appreciate your feedback! Sorry it's up a couple hours later than usual, I've had a busy week! My birthday is on Wednesday, I hope I get something cute that reminds me of Erebear!! Or a Levi body pillow...Actually, that would be kind of weird if anyone in my family got me that. Enjoy the chapter!

Eren had been acting...different. Yes, Levi had complained about Eren being too distant, and of course he was glad that Eren had gone back to his ways of showing Levi affection, but it was different this time. He was more shy, yet more affectionate at the same time. He would give Levi little kisses or Levi would tickle him, and Eren would run around with his hands pressed to his cheeks as he blushed and giggled uncontrollably. Levi thought it was a phase at first, but it never really stopped, even as Eren got older. 

And older. 

And  _older._

He seemed to be shooting up like a pea sprout before Levi's very eyes, his height finally coming to just above Levi's waist. It had been early spring when Eren began this behavior, and now it was early summer. Levi liked to pretend Eren was still just a little kitten, but in all honesty...His heat could come any day now. 

Maybe not any day, but within the next few weeks. And yet, Levi hadn't told Eren anything about it yet. He seemed much too young for this, there was no way Eren could be maturing this fast. 

But, it was true. He was at the tender age of puberty, body and mind slowly changing, even though his neko genes kept him small and cute. Levi tried to distance himself a bit, not mentally, but physically. He didn't know what would be inappropriate now. Could Eren still sit on his lap? Could he tickle Eren? Could he give him kisses on the cheek?

The older male stopped the paperwork he was filing, looking over at Eren. The neko was lying on his belly in a pile of pillows, just in front of the fireplace as he read his book. His legs kicked absent-mindedly and his teeth gnawed gently on his lower lip in concentration. He'd taken to reading a lot lately, enjoying bigger and bigger books, though picture books were still his favorite. Eren was one who loved to see, hear, and feel things. He was so curious, even after all the trouble he'd gotten himself in in the past when he was younger. He loved to see drawings in books, to close his eyes and picture the images in his head. 

He and Armin were currently obsessed with this book, the book Eren was reading. It was about the outside world, the world outside the walls. It had pictures of different animals, ones Levi had never seen or heard of, like giant cats. Some called lions, some called tigers. Many of these animals were fierce, like wolves, and some were gentle giants, like elephants. Levi guessed these animals were highly fictitious, but then again, there was a part of him that believed. 

The book also had pictures of landscapes. It showed jungles and oceans, mountains and valleys, and even caves and caverns filled with diamond and crystal. Eren longed to see these places, and Levi wished he could take him there. Eren didn't deserve to be cooped up in these walls, he didn't deserve to be herded like cattle. 

Levi couldn't take his eyes off the neko, watching as Eren pulled up the strap of his lacy, sleeveless white nightgown as it slowly slid down his shoulder. As soon as he pulled it up, it slid back down again, so he just left it. The nightgown matched his white ruffled socks perfectly, making Eren a bit less exposed in his breezy nightgown, but it also drew attention to his legs, and the little stretch of skin showing between his knees and upper thighs, in between the hem of his dress and the ruffle of his socks. 

Levi had said this many times, to both Erwin and over and over to himself, but he would say it again. Eren was beautiful. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful, actually. Even when he was little, he was the prettiest little kitten Levi had ever seen. But now, he still had that round, cherub face, accented by his wide furry ears. And yet, though he still had that appeal, his body was aging so gracefully. He of course, still looked young, but didn't all nekos? 

Levi sort of hated that, in a way. How old was Eren? Maybe compared to a human child, 13 or 14?

It was so weird for Levi to think about. A 13 year old, about to mate and possibly have children. And yet Eren didn't even know what sex was. 

But how was Levi supposed to explain something like that? He knew both Mikasa and Armin knew what it was, but had they told Eren?

The boy was so clueless, so innocent. He didn't know how important this was, and it was Levi's fault. What if Eren wanted to find a mate before his heat? Levi knew he had to stop holding Eren back from this. 

He slowly stood from his chair, clearing his throat, and Eren looked up from his book. 

"Is it time for bed?" Eren asked, looking over at Levi. 

"Soon," Levi replied. "But I'd like to talk about something first, if you don't mind.." Levi murmured. He slowly walked over to Eren, crouching down beside him, knees cracking as he did. Boy, he really was an old man. 

"Am I in trouble, Levy?" Eren asked, green eyes going wide as he made a pouty face.

"You're not in trouble, brat, you don't need to give me that suck up face," Levi said, shaking his head, and Eren's face immediately went back to normal. 

"Okay, good," Eren replied. "What do you want?"

"I want to talk about...heat.." Levi murmured. "About your heat."

"About my-oh.." Eren said, sitting up and crossing his legs indian style. "What about it?"

"Well, I.." Levi paused awkwardly, running a hand through his hair before sighing exhaustedly. "Listen, kid...I don't really know how to talk about this sort of thing," Levi admitted. "Just bear with me, alright?"

Eren nodded slowly, giving Levi a weird look. "Is it..bad?" He asked the older. 

"N-no, no..it's not bad, it's just...Different, I suppose..Especially for me.." Levi murmured. He was so used to Eren being his little Erebear. "Tell me what you know about a heat.." Levi murmured.

"You told me it's when I'll be an adult," said Eren, and Levi nodded. "And I'll be able to have babies." 

"Yes-but...do you know..how to make a baby?" Levi murmured awkwardly. 

"With..sex..?" Eren murmured. "I don't understand what you're getting at."

Levi's breath hitched and he looked at Eren with wide eyes. "Where did you learn what that was..?" He hissed. 

"Sex?" Eren asked. "Levy, I don't-"

"Shh-stop saying..that word.." Levi sighed, rubbing his forehead. Fuck, it was weird to hear Eren talk about such things. "Where did you learn it?"

"From a book Hanji gave me," said Eren. "A few weeks ago." 

"A few  _weeks_ ago??" Levi asked in shock. "You've known about it for that long? Why didn't you tell me?" He asked the kitten.

"I didn't..I just..I don't know, it's something I...I'm supposed to talk about with my mate, isn't it?" Eren asked.

"Well, you don't have a mate. That's why I'm here," Levi murmured, crossing his arms. "So you..Understand what it is, correct?"

"Mhm. They would put their di-"

"No-no details-" Levi cut Eren off quickly. "I'm well aware of what it is."

"Have you..done it before?" Eren asked Levi, cocking his head. Levi hesitantly nodded in reply, looking away. "With who?"

"I..A lot of people, Eren," Levi whispered in shame. "It was a long time ago, they don't matter now."

"W-but I thought..You were only supposed to have sex with people you love..?" Eren asked innocently. God, there was so much this kid didn't know and it hurt Levi to have to explain this sort of stuff to Eren.

"That's...yes, that's usually how it is," Levi murmured in reply. 

"So..You loved someone? Or a lot of people?" Eren asked. 

"No-not necessarily.." Levi murmured. "Eren, you don't  **have** to love somebody to...have..relations with them," Levi explained. "It's usually the case, but..for people like me...I don't really..I don't love others easily. But I'm a man, I still had those urges, especially when I was younger. And underground, there are a lot of bad places and a lot of bad people..and...a lot of bad opportunities," Levi sighed.

"What..What do you mean?" Eren asked in confusion.

"When I...was in my twenties, there were a lot of...People..or, not exactly people..Well, I mean there were people-" Levi was getting sidetracked now, as he was nervous to admit this to Eren. "There were a lot of people and  **Nekos** who...You could pay them in money, or food...even drugs or alcohol..for them to have sex with you, even if they don't love you," Levi explained, sadness in his voice.

"Why-why would anyone do that?" Eren asked, frowning and shaking his head. "It doesn't make sense-"

"People are desperate down there, Eren. Desperate for affection, desperate for money and drugs. Though I didn't have many problems with drugs or money, I did need affection....So...when I could, I purchased the services of these people...or in my case, mostly nekos," Levi admitted to Eren. "They're so desperate for money, they can't get work because of the fact they're nekos, so...I..would go to them most of the time."

"Levy, why would you do that?" Eren asked in a childlike voice, eyes becoming teary. 

"I don't do it anymore, Eren, I promise," Levi said quickly when he saw how upset Eren was. He reached out to try and brush the boy's tears away, but Eren pushed Levi's hand back. 

"What about  **me**?" Eren asked in a cracked voice. 

"What do you mean, what about you?" Levi asked in utter confusion. 

"You-" Eren's voice cracked, cutting him off. "I wanted to-"

"Wanted to what, Eren?" Levi asked. 

"I thought I would be the only one you did that with-" Eren whispered shakily. 

"Did wha-" Levi shook his head. "Have sex with??" He asked in bewilderment. 

"When my heat comes-Armin said-" Eren choked out. "He said you would want me-"

"E-Eren-" Levi stammered. What the fuck was he supposed to say to this. "You're just a kid-why would I want you like that?" Levi asked. 

Eren immediately stood up, taking his book and throwing it right at Levi's head in anger, which Levi just barely dodged. 

"Eren! What the hell are you doing?" Levi asked. 

"You didn't have to tell me you didn't want me, you didn't have to say it in those words!" Eren sobbed. "Armin lied to me-you lied to me."

"Erebear, that's not what I meant-I didn't mean I didn't want you," Levi tried to explain quickly, but he had never seen Eren freak out like this. And, he'd never heard Eren say he was planning on having sex with Levi...so..both were kind of a shock.

"No-it is what you meant," Eren said, shaking his head. "I knew it." He rushed off, his socked feet thudding against the floors as he ran into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it behind him. Levi's head fell into his hands as he tried to process what the hell had just happened. 

Why did Eren think for so long that Levi was going to have sex with him? Where would he even get that idea? 

Of course, Levi loved Eren and thought he was beautiful, but he had never given hints that he wanted the boy in a sexual aspect...Had he? Eren had mentioned something about Armin lying to him..Was it Armin who had given Eren this idea? Why would he do that?

Levi stood up, shuffling over to the bathroom. "Eren?" He asked, giving the door a quiet knock. 

"Go away," Eren sniffled. "Just go away."

"Eren.." Levi tried again. "Let me in." But, there was no reply from Eren. Levi sighed, knowing he wouldn't get any answers out of the boy. "I'm..going out to get milk," Levi suddenly lied. "Stay here, please. We'll talk about this when I get back." 

Eren didn't reply again, so Levi turned on his heel, walking toward the door even though he was only in a pair of pajama pants and a T-shirt. He knew he shouldn't be leaving Eren alone like this, but he didn't really have a choice. He needed answers. Eren obviously wasn't going to tell him much, as he could tell the kitten was beyond embarrassed at what had just happened. Levi would be embarrassed as well, but he was honestly too shocked and confused at the moment.

Once he exited the room, he closed the door behind himself quietly and began walking down the dark halls, the dim lights of candles lining the walls to help guide him to his destination, which he finally reached in only a matter of minutes. He knocked on the door quietly, but when there was no answer, he knocked a bit louder until he heard shuffling come from inside the room. "Erwin," Levi murmured. "Erwin, open up." 

Levi heard the lock click, and a second later, the door flung open. "The  _hell_ do you want?" Erwin murmured, groggy from sleep. 

"I need to speak to Armin," Levi requested. 

"Armin?" Erwin asked in confusion. "Why? He's asleep.." Erwin murmured, nodding his head back toward the bed, where Armin was bundled up in blankets. "Where's Eren? Is something wrong?" Erwin asked. 

"He's fine, he just...Look, he got an idea about..He thinks that I...want to have sex with him," Levi admitted. "And he said Armin's the one who gave him that idea. I need to know why," said Levi, looking at Erwin's slightly shocked face. "Now Eren's locked himself in the bathroom, crying because I said I didn't want him."

"Oi, why would you say that to him?" Erwin asked. 

"I didn't mean it like that-look, can you just get Armin?" Levi asked, and Erwin sighed reluctantly before nodding, motioning for Levi to come in. Levi entered, Erwin closing the door behind him before striding over to the bed and placing a hand on Armin's head. 

"Armin," he whispered gently, the kitten stirring awake in confusion. 

"Mh..Morning.." Armin murmured. 

"No, it's not. You have a guest," said Erwin, and Armin blinked open his blue eyes, sitting up and squinting at Levi. 

"I-is it Eren?" Armin asked, looking around for his friend, but Erwin shook his head. 

"No, it's Captain Levi. He just has to ask you a few questions about Eren, that's all," Erwin murmured. "I'll make some tea." Erwin got up, making his way to the kitchen as Levi awkward shifted, clearing his throat before slowly moving to sit on the edge of the bed. He'd never really talked to Armin one on one before, and this was sort of a weird first conversation to have with someone, especially someone so much younger than himself. 

"Is Eren okay?" Armin asked in worry. 

"Mh. He is, don't worry," Levi assured the kitten. "He's just upset, and I was hoping you'd have some kind of idea why." Armin shrugged, shaking his head in confusion. "He and I got in a...not exactly a fight, but he's upset at me for....Listen, why does Eren think I want to have sex with him?" Levi finally asked. 

"S-sex?" Armin asked. "I-I don't know."

"He said that you said you were sure I wanted to have sex with Eren, why the hell would you think that?" Levi huffed. 

"I-I..It's just-I heard Erwin say-" Armin cut off when Erwin appeared out of nowhere, slapping his hand over Armin's mouth. 

"Time for bed," said Erwin. "No more talking."

"What? What did you say about me?" Levi growled at Erwin. "Were you talking about me having sex with Eren?" 

"I..You know my memory isn't the greatest, Levi, I could have been talking about anyone.." Erwin murmured. 

" _Erwin_ ," Levi growled. "Tell me the truth."

"Hanji and I...may have..mentioned it a few times. I didn't realize Armin was listening," Erwin admitted. 

"Hanji is in on this, too?" Levi scoffed. "What is with you people? Why the hell would you think I would have-I would do that with Eren?"

"Well.." Erwin mumbled, scratching the back of his head. "Have you seen the way you look at Eren?"

"I look at him like any other person, Erwin. You've got to be kidding me," Levi argued. 

"I know you better than anyone, better than Eren, even. I've never in all my years with you seen you look at someone like that," said Erwin.

"Because I care about Eren," Levi defended. 

"You care about your squad, but you don't look at them like that," said Erwin. He turned to Armin, nodding toward the door. Armin nodded obediently, standing up and giving Erwin a kiss on the cheek before hopping down from the bed and heading to stand outside the door so Levi and Erwin could talk in private. 

"Well-you look at Armin different-" Levi defended, scrunching up his nose. 

"Maybe I do, but that's not the point here," said Erwin. "We're talking about you and Eren right now. We can talk about my love life later," Erwin offered, and Levi huffed. "Hanji and I have known for a while."

"Known what? There's nothing to know," Levi argued. "I care about Eren platonically. I don't fall in love with anyone, I never have," said Levi. 

"You haven't until you found Eren," said Erwin. 

"Why are you trying to tell me how I feel? You don't even know how I feel about anything," said Levi.

"Levi, there's no point in pretending anymore. You're not fooling anyone, not even yourself," Erwin pointed out.

 Levi took a deep breath, bringing his face into his hands. "Don't do this to me, Smith," he begged.

"I have no choice," said Erwin. "If I don't figure this out, who will?"

"I will," Levi replied, looking up. "I..I'll figure it out."

"Obviously not..If you were figuring it out, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be hiding this from Eren," Erwin pointed out.

"You don't fucking understand, Erwin," Levi growled quietly. "You don't understand what it's like. I can't-I can't tell anyone about this. I can't even tell Eren. Do you know how wrong of me it would be to admit how I feel to him? He-he's just a kid, I would be taking advantage of him. But don't think for a minute that I don't die a little inside every time I look at him. Don't think that I don't want him because I do. I want him more than anything," Levi admitted.

"You think I don't understand, but I do," said Erwin, and Levi looked up.

"A-Armin..?" Levi asked in surprise, and Erwin nodded. 

"They're not as young as you think, Levi. They're almost mature by now...Armin and I have..we've..decided to be together during his heat," said Erwin.

"Why is this the first time I'm hearing of this?" Levi asked, still a bit shocked.

"Same reason why you feel like you can't go after Eren. Armin and I have decided to keep it on the down low until he's had his heat...Then we'll..slowly face the consequences," Erwin explained.

"But Erwin, your job..This could ruin your reputation as commander," said Levi, shaking his head.

"So be it," Erwin said, voice strong. "I love him, Levi."

Levi looked down, hands coming up to rub his temples. Erwin had been strong enough and courageous enough to do something that Levi couldn't even dream of doing. When did he become such a coward? "Armin and I will find a way, no matter who thinks bad of us."

"But Eren.."

"Eren's no different. Hell, he's made it ten times easier for you by already admitting he has feelings for you. I had to worry about being rejected," Erwin pointed out.

"Like how..I rejected Eren," Levi murmured, and Erwin nodded.

"You don't have to tell him how you really feel, Levi. But this might be your only chance," Erwin explained, and Levi nodded grimly. "At least go comfort him if you're not ready to talk."

"Yeah.." Levi murmured, running a hand through his messy hair. "Yeah." He was a bit dazed, as though he still didn't believe what was really happening. "I'll...see you tomorrow," the captain murmured, and Erwin nodded, leading Levi to the door. He opened it, seeing Armin still standing obediently in the hallway, a sleepy look on his face. The blonde motioned for Armin to come inside, the kitten shuffling in for Erwin to pick him up.

"Good luck," the commander said quietly to Levi, and Levi nodded in thanks before beginning to shuffle down the hallway. His shuffling turned to walking, his walking turned to jogging, and his jogging turned to running as he couldn't bear the tension of walking so slow anymore, as if his time was running out. He reached the door, practically bursting through it and looking around the room, but Eren was no where to be seen. The bathroom light was still on, the door closed, just how Levi had left it. The captain walked over, knocking gently. "Eren?" he called when there was no answer. The doorknob jiggled and the door slowly opened, a little tear streaked face poking through the small crack in the ajar door.

"What?" Eren croaked. The boy looked like he'd fallen asleep on the bathroom floor some time after Levi had left, half his hair sticking up at odd angles.

"Can you let me in?" Levi asked quietly. "I need to talk to you. It's quite important.."

Eren looked reluctant, but he slowly opened the door the rest of the way, turning around and walking over to the tub to sit up on the edge. Levi followed slowly, sitting a few feet away from Eren on the rim of the tub. "So.." Levi started, unsure where to go.

"So," Eren repeated quietly, voice only a whisper. "You don't need to tell me, Levi. I already know what I said was dumb."

"Dumb?" Levi asked, looking over at Eren. "It wasn't...It's not dumb."

"It was," Eren whispered. "It was just silly...I..I don't know what got into me."

"Would it still be dumb if i said I felt the same?" Levi asked quietly, and Eren looked over at him with a surprised look on his face. 

"I...I don't know. I suppose not," Eren whispered. "But you don't feel the same. You told me.."

"I had to think some things through," said Levi. "What I said earlier..It wasn't true. I panicked, Eren," said Levi. "You're just a kid-"

"I'm not," Eren said quickly. "I'm not anymore, Levy-I mean, Levi."

"I know," Levi said quietly, admiring the kitten as he reached out to run a hand through Eren's chestnut locks. "I know you're not. I suppose it's just hard for me to accept that you're not so little anymore," Levi sighed. "But I do have feelings for you, Eren."

"Like...friend feelings?" Eren asked, but Levi shook his head. 

"No, like the feelings I think you have for me," Levi replied quietly. "A-although, I never-I wasn't intending on..sex. That's a big step, Eren," Levi explained, and Eren nodded, a bit crestfallenly. 

"I don't know what's going to happen during your heat, Eren," Levi admitted. "I don't know if you'll even want me to be with you. But...If the time is right..Then, we'll talk about it. Alright?" Levi asked quietly. 

"R-really?" Eren asked, and Levi nodded. 

"But we don't need to worry about that right now. C'mere.." Levi murmured, reaching out and wrapping an arm around Eren to pull the boy toward him, and eventually onto his lap. He rested his cheek on top of Eren's head, rubbing his back. "Don't worry about any of that." Eren nodded slowly, looking up at Levi with big green eyes, face inches from the captain's He closed his eyes, tilting his head up a bit more so he could rub his nose along the side of Levi's, Levi's hand coming to cup Eren's cheek as he enjoyed the gentle touches. 

Levi couldn't help it when he inched down, lips grazing Eren's before they pressed together.

And neither of them could bring themselves to pull away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's outfit - http://g02.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1YXEZHFXXXXXuXXXXq6xXFXXX4/Free-Shipping-New-Summer-Princess-Style-Women-s-White-Short-Nightgown-Lace-Nightshirt-Lady-Sleepwear-Beautiful.jpg


	15. The Courtier

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a pimple right on the bridge of my nose where my glasses go Q-Q my struggles are real.

Levi's lips moved against Eren's gently, his hand still cupping the kitten's cheek. He slowly pulled back, lips disconnecting from Eren's as he opened up his eyes to see Eren's emerald ones staring back at him. He didn't know why, but he felt enchanted by Eren at this very moment. They didn't exchange any words, both feeling as though they didn't need to. Everything that was needed to be said was expressed through the kiss they'd shared. At least - everything that needed to be said at the moment. But Levi tried not to think about the obstacles that were to come in the near future. He pulled Eren against his chest again, burying his nose in Eren's chestnut brown hair and pressing a kiss to his head as he closed his eyes. He felt the kitten relax against him and he sighed in relief, knowing this meant Eren wasn't mad at him anymore.

Eren closed his eyes as he relaxed against Levi, face pressed into Levi's firm chest as his tears began to dry. He had no clue what he was doing...He had no clue what this even meant. He just knew that Levi made him happy, and honestly..he hadn't really expected this to happen. He felt like he was dreaming, partly because he was exhausted from crying. He curled his fingers into Levi's cotton shirt, breathing calming. 

"I didn't mean to make you upset with me," Levi whispered against the kitten's hair, closing his own eyes as well. 

"I know.." Eren whispered. He truly did know that Levi didn't mean to make him cry. 

"You know that I love you. Right, Bear?" Levi couldn't help asking, and Eren nodded, cheek rubbing against Levi's chest exhaustedly. "Good," Levi whispered. That was the only reassurance he needed, as he already knew Eren loved him. The boy had blurted it out only a mere hour ago. He rubbed Eren's back again, making the omega purr softly. He was honestly so thankful that Eren was an omega neko, that he'd stay this small forever. It wouldn't be the same, not being able to hold him like this. Of course, even if Eren was bigger than him, he would still try to hold Eren in his lap.

He looked up from Eren's hair, staring at the bathroom wall blankly as thoughts overwhelmed him. What would people think once it got out that Captain Levi Ackerman was with a neko? They'd think he only wanted Eren for sex, which wasn't true at all. And of course the news of Erwin and Armin would get out as well, which would make everything twice as bad. And he'd have to explain to Eren that Erwin and Armin were together...actually, he'd leave that storm up to Armin. And of course, Levi knew Mikasa would plot his death once she found out he was with Eren. But was he even with Eren? He hadn't even asked the boy...They'd admitted their feelings and shared a kiss, but that didn't mean anything. What if it was a phase, what if it passed and Eren and Levi weren't..together? And what would it mean if they were together? 

Would he and Eren be like a normal couple? Sharing kisses and hugs, going on dates, possibly even spending Eren's heat together. Was Levi really ready to have sex with the kitten? Was Eren ready to have sex with anybody, for that matter? Eren was still so young and childlike, but that was part of the boy's personality. It was what made Levi happy and balanced out his 'boring' personality. But Eren had never had a relationship before, and Levi knew despite Eren being almost technically fully developed, the boy was still so immature. How could he have a relationship with someone so much younger than him?

But then again..Eren did know what a heat wa, and he knew what sex was. Maybe Levi was just underestimating the kitten, refusing to believe Eren was growing up because it was forcing him to face his feelings. Hell, he still called Eren a kitten even though Eren was no longer a baby. 

But, Eren was still Levi's kitten.

He'd have to discuss all of those things with Eren tomorrow, Even his heat. God, that could result in a family..He couldn't even imagine Eren being pregnant. Eren pregnant with babies  **he** had put there. He would feel so damn guilty making Eren go through that. He would never forgive himself. 

The man took a deep breath as he tried to calm down. Humanity's strongest, and yet his only downfall was commitment. 

He looked down at the neko against his chest, and Eren was completely limp. Only then did Levi realize that Eren was so exhausted, he'd just fallen asleep. Levi sighed and kissed the top of Eren's head again before scooping the little body into his arms, Eren snuggling his face into Levi's neck contentedly. It was some time past 10 pm, after all. Nekos needed much more sleep than people, especially when such stress went on. Levi knew with these upcoming weeks that he'd probably have to make Eren start taking naps in the afternoon so he wouldn't end up falling asleep at random times. 

He carried the kitten back into the room and over to the bed, setting him down before Levi crawled in as well. He tucked the covers around Eren. Around  _ **his**_ Eren, before gently pulling Eren into his arms again to spoon him. He'd never slept like this before with Eren, the boy usually on his chest or pressed against his side, but Levi had always wanted to try this. Eren's back against Levi's firm chest as the man wrapped around him protectively, the boy's soft ass against Levi's lap. And no matter how attractive Levi thought Eren was, this didn't turn him on. He wanted to be this close to Eren to protect him, more than anything. Of course, he was an old man who could control himself. But, protecting his kitten was more satisfying than any sex he'd ever had.

He closed his eyes and ran his nose up and down Eren's nape before giving it a few kisses to give the boy sweet dreams. Eventually, Levi himself gave in to sleep, joining Eren in the peaceful world of slumber.  

Levi's eyes shot open when there was a knock at the door. The sun was blinding and he groaned, rubbing his eyes as he gently pulled away from Eren, who was still asleep. Who the fuck would be knocking so early in the morning? 

Levi forced himself out of bed, shuffling over to the door and opening it up, where a young soldier stood before him.

"Good morning, Captain," the young man said, giving a salute. "I've come by request of Commander Erwin, sir."

"What does he want from me this time?" Levi asked in annoyance. 

"Nothing, sir. He sent me to tell you you're free to do with this day as you please," the soldier said. "He asked me to tell you to enjoy your day." 

Since when was Erwin so generous? Was it because of what happened last night. "Mhm.." Levi murmured. He forgot to even thank the soldier or dismiss him before just closing the door in his face. Honestly, he was too tired to care. He shuffled back over to the bed, crawling in and pulling Eren against himself, which made the kitten stir slightly and let out a little whine. "Hm? You just being cute?" Levi murmured to the sleeping kitten, nosing his hair gently. Eren's eyelids twitched and he rolled over so he was facing Levi, letting out a little yawn as he did. He stretched out, eyelids still twitching like they wanted to open, but he was too tired. 

"M'nin Lev," Eren murmured. 

"Speak English, will you?" Levi replied, but Eren only gave a little smirk, bringing his hand up to push Levi's cheek away. "Oi, stop that."

"Mh..no," Eren yawned, so Levi pulled Eren's hand away, nipping at one of his fingers. "Ah! Levy-" Eren squealed, finally opening up his eyes and giggling. 

"Oh, so now you're awake?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded smugly. 

"Morning, Levy," Eren replied innocently. 

"Morning, Bear," Levi replied, unable to fake madness any longer when he heard heard that sweet voice. "You sleep well?" He asked, and Eren nodded. 

"I did sleep well," Eren replied, rubbing his eyes again and sitting up a bit. "Did we oversleep?"

"No, Erwin said we don't have to come in today," said Levi. 

"Why?" Eren asked in surprise. It wasn't even a Saturday or a Sunday, so why would the commander not need Levi to come in?

"He said we don't have much to do today and I'm not needed," Levi lied. He figured it would be better to tell Eren he told Erwin everything at a later time..

"Oh.." Eren replied, but he didn't question it. 

"So we're free to do whatever we please today," Levi replied, sitting back up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed to get up and make tea. 

"Levy-" Eren whined. "Where are you going?"

"To make tea, like every morning," Levi replied monotonously. 

"Take me with you," Eren requested, lifting his arms up.

"Take you with me?" Levi asked. "Eren, really?"

" **Yes, really,** " Eren affirmed sternly. Levi sighed, reaching down and picking the boy up, letting Eren wrap his arms and legs around Levi's torso while one hand stayed under Eren's ass to hold him up. 

"Weren't you the one who was telling me you're not a baby anymore?" Levi questioned as he carried Eren into the kitchen, beginning to make tea one handedly. 

"Just cause I'm not a baby doesn't mean I don't like to be carried," Eren defended, cheek resting on Levi's shoulder, and Levi sighed in defeat. It was true, Nekos loved being cuddled and carried, just like regular kittens. Unless they were Mikasa, of course...'

And obviously, Eren wasn't heavy, so he wasn't hard to carry...And..maybe Levi enjoyed carrying Eren, just the tiniest bit...

"I'm guessing you want milk, rather than tea?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. "You going to ask me to put it in a bottle?"

"Shut up, Levy.." Eren murmured, reaching up and giving Levi's hair a slight tug, which shut Levi right up. 

Levi eventually sat Eren back down on the bed to give the boy his cup of milk, sitting down next to him so he could drink his tea. 

"So...Am I your kitten, now?" Eren asked.

"You've always been my kitten, Bear," Levi replied.

"No..I mean, like..husband and wife, like Nanaba and Mike.." Eren replied quietly, staring down at his cup. 

"H-husband and wife?" Levi murmured, raising an eyebrow as he looked over at Eren. "We're not-it's not necessarily the same thing with you and I..But..I suppose you could look at it that way," said Levi. "As long as I'm the husband.."

"I thought you'd be the wife," said Eren. 

"Wha? Why would I-" Levi began to argue, but by then he'd realized that Eren was just trying to push his buttons. "You're right, I'm your wife," Levi murmured, rolling his eyes. 

"Good, I love Levy," Eren replied. "My wife is so pretty," he giggled as he pressed himself against Levi, and Levi wrapped an arm around Eren's shoulders. 

"But in all seriousness, I'm not exactly sure what we are. I'm not your wife," Levi said, holding back a chuckle. But what were they? "I suppose we're more like- really, really good friends, who just happen to love each other a lot more than friends.." Levi tried to explain. 

"So, you're my boyfriend?" Eren asked. Boyfriend wasn't a very widely used term, as people usually courted the one they wanted to be with. 

"N-no, I guess-you could say I'm your..Your courtier, how's that sound?" Levi asked. 

"So you're courting me?" Eren asked. 

"I suppose in our own way...That would be a good place to start," said Levi, nodding. Of course, it was far from a traditional courtship, but Levi wasn't religious, and he was far from traditional. 

"Then that sounds good," Eren agreed quietly. "Even though I don't know exactly what it means.."

"It's just a fancy word for boyfriend," Levi assured the neko. "Even though I know we're not necessarily very fancy."

"I like it, it's a pretty word," said Eren. " _Courtier,_ " He said in the most posh voice he could muster up, which made Levi snort. 

"I bet it's a word Erwin uses all the time.  _Commander Courtier,_ " Levi mimicked Eren's posh voice and the kitten giggled, almost spilling his cup of milk. 

Levi liked that he could make Eren laugh and smile, he liked that he made Eren happier than anyone else could. Of course Mikasa and Armin made Eren happy, but not as happy as he was when he was with Levi. And of course, Eren made Levi happier than anyone ever would or could. "Oi, I like it when you laugh," Levi suddenly blurted out, and Eren looked over at him in surprise. "It sounds...Nice," he mumbled. 

"O-oh..?" Eren raised his brows in confusion. "Thank..you? You're the one who made me laugh," Eren pointed out. "My funny Levy."

"Levy isn't funny," Levi murmured. 

"Yes he is!" Eren argued. "You say lots of funny jokes about Erwin and Hanji being stupid."

"Those aren't jokes...those two really are stupid," Levi replied, but it only made Eren burst out in a fit of giggles once again. Levi cautiously took away Eren's cup of milk so the kitten wouldn't spill it, but Levi couldn't help smiling as well. "Well if I'm funny, then you're...pretty. My pretty Erebear, how's that sound?" Levi asked. Eren hid his face in his hands as he blushed, shaking his head. 

"I'm not pretty, Petra is pretty," said Eren. 

"But you're prettier," Levi assured the kitten. "And Petra doesn't have such a cute laugh, and a little button nose." He tapped Eren's nose, making Eren swat at Levi's hand playfully. "There's no point in arguing with me over it, I'm always right," Levi assured Eren, and the boy rolled his eyes. Levi thought he was right a lot more than he actually was...but Eren tried not to correct him, letting Levi have his moment.

But, there was another knock at the door. 

"God dammit..now what?" Levi grumbled in irritation. Erwin had given them a 'day off,' only to have it be interrupted several times. Levi set down the cups and Eren raised his arms up again, but this time Levi didn't complain as he hoisted the boy up into his arms and tucked the kitten's face into his neck before pressing a swift kiss to the spot just below Eren's ear. It made Eren shiver, the touch unfamiliar, but intriguing. 

When Levi opened up the door, he was a bit surprised to see who was standing there. 

Erwin was standing straight and tall, holding Armin exactly the way Levi was holding Eren. The two kittens immediately caught each others' scent, turning their faces away from their..courtiers' necks to look at each other. 

"Erwin.." Levi murmured. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. Come in," he said, stepping back to let the tall blonde in. Levi immediately walked over to the bed, picking up a blanket to wrap Eren in since it made him uncomfortable now that other people were in here, and Eren's nightgown exposed so much. Only Levi should be able to see that much of Eren...or was he being possessive now? 

"I thought you'd want to talk...and Armin wanted to..see Eren," said Erwin, looking at Armin. Armin nodded, sliding down from Erwin's arms. "He thought they should have a talk, as well."

Levi shifted before reluctantly setting Eren down. 

"Armin? What do you want to talk about?" Eren asked. 

"Why don't we go to the kitchen?" Erwin suggested to Levi. 

"Mh.." The captain nodded. "You boys can go sit in the bed, alright?" Levi suggested, and Eren nodded. He took the little blonde neko's hand, leading him over to the bed. The two both crawled up and snuggled into the still warm covers, legs tangling together as Erwin and Levi left the room. 

"What's going on?" Levi asked as he and Erwin entered the kitchen. "Don't tell me we've lost the war.."

"No-no, nothing like that," Erwin assured the raven. "It's just...Armin wanted to tell Eren..about mine and his relationship. Since you came to me last night, I figured it would be okay now.." said Erwin. 

"Don't you think this will be a lot for him to comprehend at once?" Levi asked. 

"Levi, he'll be alright. How did things go last night, anyway?" Erwin asked, crossing his buff arms. 

"We're..together, I suppose.." Levi murmured. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to have sex with him. He's still too young." 

"That's your decision," said Erwin, nodding. "Armin and I are waiting for his heat before we go much further with the relationship. Will you be able to resist Eren while he's in heat?"

"If I want to, yes. What, do you think I'm some kind of animal?" Levi asked defensively.

"I saw the way you covered Eren up. You're protecting your personal fleshlight," Erwin snorted. 

"Don't call him that," Levi growled, though he knew Erwin was only making a raunchy joke. 

"You definitely have animal instincts," Erwin confirmed at Levi's response. "Already protecting your mate from possible threats."

"Oi, Erwin," Levi growled. "Enough."

"Alright, alright" Erwin agreed in surrender. "But how close do you think Eren's heat is?" He asked. 

"I don't know...Why would I be thinking about that?" Levi asked. 

"I took Armin to the doctor yesterday morning. Armin's heat could be coming in two weeks or less.." Erwin said.

"What?" Levi asked, narrow eyes widening. "You mean-he could go into heat any day now?"

"Mhm. His personality is already starting to change..He's a lot clingier than usual," said Erwin. 

"But Eren's...he's..clingy," Levi murmured breathlessly. 

"Then I suggest you start making preparations," Erwin advised seriously. 

Was Eren..going into heat? "Erwin.." Levi murmured. He honestly had no clue what to do now.

"First, take him to the doctor. You don't need to start worrying if it's not even close. Nekos are clingy anyway, so it doesn't necessarily mean anything that Eren's more attached to you lately. 

"But I don't...what if he goes into heat-tomorrow or something?" Levi asked. "I'm not ready for this,  _Eren_ isn't ready for this."

"Nobody's ready for it. You think I'm ready for Armin to go into heat? No, I'm not, but I'm keeping myself together. You know why? Because I love Armin, I love him," Erwin stated firmly. "I'm ready for anything he needs me to do. It can't be as scary as everyone says, Levi," Erwin assured him. "Eren'll just be acting a bit different and you'll have to stay with him at all times during his heat. How bad can that be?" Erwin asked. 

"Y-you can't leave the house when you're in heat?" Levi asked in confusion. 

"What? No, you can't," Erwin said. "Haven't you been reading about this at all?" Erwin asked, but Levi just looked away.

He...didn't dare to look at that chapter of his book yet.

"I've...been planning on it.." Levi murmured. 

"Levi, you need to do that," Erwin said, his commanding voice used on the field returning. 

"I will.." Levi mumbled.

"Lucky that I gave you the day off..You can do that today. And I'm telling you this as your commander, it's an order," Erwin said firmly. 

_Ah, shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not going to say when Erebear's heat will be, but do you guys have anything specific you want from it, and/or Riren babies?
> 
> P.s. Are my chapters too short??


	16. The Heated Blonde

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhh this gets a lil bit sexy...

"You and Erwin are...?" Eren asked in disbelief, staring at Armin with wide eyes. "Why didn't you tell Mikasa and I?"

"Well, you know Mikasa.." Armin said nervously. 

"That's a good point.." Eren murmured. "But what about me? You could've told me."

"I wanted to..I..I really did, but there honestly wasn't much to tell," Armin admitted. "We're still trying to figure it out as we go...I'm still not exactly what we are, but we're going to..spend my heat together.." Armin explained awkwardly.

"You're..going to have sex with him?" Eren asked, and Armin nodded. "But that won't be for a while, right?"

"A-actually.." Armin said, wringing his hands nervously. "It could be soon.." He whispered.

"How soon?" Eren whispered back.

"It could be two weeks...It could be in a couple days...it could be tomorrow," Armin admitted. "I don't know exactly when, but I know it's close."

"A-Armin-" Eren stammered in complete shock. "W-When did you find out? Have you seen a doctor?"

"I saw a doctor yesterday morning, and thats what he told me..I already feel different.." Armin admitted, wrapping his arms around himself as he looked down at his lap. "I'm getting these feelings, I don't even know what they are.." Armin whispered, shaking his head. "I'm scared, Eren."

Eren sat up a bit, pulling his friend into his arms to hold him close and comfort him. "What kind of feelings do you mean, Armin?" Eren asked softly as he held Armin, rocking them back and forth slightly. 

"L-like I..Like I don't know what I would do without Erwin, like I would die without him," Armin admitted. "And like I..I want him to hold me a lot, and I want him to kiss me and touch me-" Armin cut off. "It feels so dirty."

"That's.." Eren wasn't really sure what to say, honestly..He still barely knew anything about sex, but he had to comfort his friend. "That's just a side effect of your heat, Armin..It's not dirty. If Erwin is...the person you love, you can think those things about him," Eren assured the blonde. 

"R-Really?" Armin asked, sniffling as a couple tears dripped down his cheeks. 

"Y-yeah, I'm sure of it. Like how married couples think of each other that way, it's sort of like you and Erwin are married.." said Eren.

"B-but we're not.." Armin sniffled.

"But why can't you think of it that way? If you're going to spend your heat with him, you're as good as married..Sometimes I think about Levi in that way, too," Eren admitted. Though, it had only been a couple times. 

"You do?" Armin asked, and Eren nodded. "I-I guess it's sort of like you and Levi are married, too..."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that.." Eren whispered as he rested his cheek on top of Armin's head, the silky blonde hair tickling Eren's sensitive skin. 

"Then...I..I guess it isn't bad to think of them that way...It's because we love them, right?" Armin asked.

"Yeah..I know I do," said Eren. 

"Me too.." said Armin. "I just..I have no clue what I'm doing. I don't know how relationships work...I don't know how to..touch Erwin, I don't know how he's supposed to touch me.."

"I don't know either, Armin.." Eren admitted. "But Erwin...He'll guide you through it, I'm sure...The commander is a very smart man, and you're just as smart," Eren encouraged the other neko. "You'll be able to figure out what he likes, and what you like.." 

"Y-yeah...I think you're right," Armin whispered breathlessly, starting to calm down a bit. "But I've been having..other feelings..." Armin murmured.

"Bad feelings?" Eren asked worriedly. 

"N-no.." said Armin. "Like-you know that...a heat is for..to-to uhm..it's for.." Armin stammered. "It's for making babies.."

"I-I know.." Eren replied, a bit hesitantly. "So...what about it?"

"I want that.." Armin admitted. 

"You-you want to-what?" Eren stammered. 

"I want kittens," Armin admitted, a slight whine to his voice. "I- I don't know what it is. A soldier brought his wife to the base and she had a little baby and-and when I saw it, I just started crying," Armin said, covering his face with his hands. 

"A-Armin-you can't possibly be ready for kittens-" Eren stammered. 

"It's my heat, Eren," Armin whispered. "It's making me want them, it's making me want them so bad. I keep crying all the time because I just want them-"

"Whoa-whoa, okay..Calm down.." Eren murmured, a bit in shock. Armin...wanted..to be a mother? There was no way Armin was ready for that. "I-it's just your heat tricking your body into thinking that's what you want...Talk to Erwin about it, maybe..?" Eren suggested. Yes, Erwin would talk him out of it...So would Mikasa, as well.

"Y-yeah.." Armin whispered shakily. "I'll try...I've just been so scared to talk to him about it.." said Armin. 

"I'm sure..he'll understand.." said Eren, but he wasn't too sure himself. Hell, even he didn't understand it. 

"Thank you, Eren," Armin whispered as he hugged Eren tighter. 

"N-no problem, Armin...You can talk to me about anything," Eren assured him, and Armin nodded thankfully. 

"So...What's up with you and Levi?" Armin asked. 

Eren went on to explain everything, from the moment Eren had let it slip out that he wanted Levi to take him during his heat, all the way to this morning when Levi told him he was pretty. He was talking so fast and excitedly, like if he didn't tell Armin everything at this very moment, he might explode. He couldn't help it, he was just so excited that he finally got to tell someone, Armin's baby news forgotten. 

"He really called Erwin Commander Courtier?" Armin giggled, covering his mouth as Eren laughed and nodded. 

"Oi, what are you boys laughing about in here?" Erwin asked as he and Levi reentered the room, both holding a cup of tea. 

"N-nothing," Armin giggled, burying his face in the blankets, Eren immediately following him to try and hide his own giggles. 

"That definitely sounds like a lie," said Erwin, giving a slight chuckle. "They're probably making fun of us."

"Us?" Levi snorted. "I have normal eyebrows, they don't have anything to make fun of me for."

"How can you even see my eyebrows when you're so close to the floor?" Erwin asked. 

"Oi, watch it," Levi threatened. He was small, but deadly. 

"You ready to go now, Arm?" Erwin asked, and Armin poked his head out of the blankets, blonde hair sticking up at all angles. 

"Yes," Armin confirmed, smiling up at Erwin. Erwin set down his half empty cup of tea, striding over to Armin to lift him out of the mess of blankets and brush his hair away from his face.

"Thank you for all your help, Eren," said Armin, turning to give him a wave. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Armin.." said Eren, watching as Erwin carried the neko toward the door. 

"Thank you for having us, Levi. I'm expecting you to fulfill my orders by tonight," Erwin said. "Have a nice day..." He turned on his heel, walking out the door.

"Asshole.." Levi grumbled under his breath as he shut the door. 

"Orders? What orders?" Eren asked curiously, cocking his head. 

"He.." Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "He told me I have to take you to a doctor and start...making plans for your heat.." Levi mumbled.

"O-oh.." said Eren, biting his lip. "Did you know Armin's is coming soon?"

"I did," said Levi, nodding as he sat back down next to Eren on the bed. 

"Are Erwin and Armin going to have kittens?" Eren asked nervously. 

"A-as in babies?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. "I-.." Levi hadn't really thought about that. Did Erwin even like children. "I-I'm not sure..I suppose..it's possible?" Levi guessed.

"Are we going to have kittens?" Eren asked, and Levi looked over at Eren in surprise.

"I-I don't know.." Levi said honestly. Would Eren want kittens? Honestly...Levi never thought he would have children, but nekos were a bit different. He honestly loved watching Eren grow up. 

"Okay," Eren replied, shrugging. He seemed satisfied with the answer, even though it wasn't even really an answer at all. "So...what first?"

"Well...We'll get dressed and I'll take you down to the infirmary...we'll see if someone can check up on you and give us some answers...then I suppose we'll get some lunch and look over some of the stuff we need to know. I want to be prepared for this.." said Levi. He didn't want to do anything wrong, anything that could jeopardize Eren or ruin their relationship. He knew it was probably just...you know, normal sex..but Levi couldn't help being concerned since he cared for Eren so much. He'd fucked up more times than he could count, but he wasn't going to let himself fuck this up. He was going to make sure this went well, for Eren's sake...and...possibly for his own sanity.

Eren nodded slowly, biting his bottom lip. "Okay," he agreed quietly, though he was more nervous than he would like to admit. 

"Alright, Bear. Go get dressed," said Levi, giving Eren a little nudge. The boy nodded and hopped off the bed, shuffling over to the dresser. He rummaged through it, trying to look for the most...adult thing he had. He knew nekos dressed in rather young, girly clothes, but...He wanted Levi to see him as an adult now. Eren pulled out one of Levi's white button up shirts, rolling up the much too big sleeves before beginning to button it up. The shirt hung down past his knees, making it as long as one of his dresses usually would be. Actually, even longer, since Eren preferred wearing shorter dresses. 

Levi turned around, eyes widening slightly when he saw what Eren was wearing. "Eren..?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "The hell?"

"Hm?" Eren turned around, looking at Levi. 

"Why the hell are you wearing that?" Levi asked. "Don't you have clean clothes to wear?"

"I do, but.." Eren shrugged. "I'd rather wear this.."

"Eren," Levi sighed, walking over. "Wear your own clothes. That's much too big for you."

"But.."

"Eren, come on," said Levi. "Wear one of your dresses or something. You can put whatever you want on when we get home."

"Fine.." Eren mumbled, taking off the shirt and tossing it back in the drawer. 

"Here, Bear. Wear this one, you haven't even worn it yet," Levi suggested, taking out a white dress with lace flowers lining the bottom, handing it to the boy. "It'll look nice on you."

"Alright.." Eren sighed reluctantly, but he didn't regret the dress once he had it on. It actually did look quite cute on him, especially paired with matching white Mary Janes. 

Once Levi was dressed, he took Eren's hand and led him out of the room. Levi sighed, glancing down at Eren every few minutes or so as they walked toward the infirmary. He was worried, though he wouldn't admit it. He was worried they would walk in and the doctor would tell them Eren was going to go into heat any minute and that Levi had to have sex with him or else Eren would spontaneously implode. Levi didn't want anyone imploding. Well, except maybe Erwin. 

Eren noticed Levi looking at him every once in a while, but he didn't say anything. He decided it would just be better to pretend he didn't notice. 

"Captain Levi, what can I do for you?" The young woman at the front desk asked once the captain and his neko arrived at the infirmary. 

"I'd like to see Dr. Rusele," Levi requested. "We don't have an appointment, but I was hoping he could squeeze us in. We'd only be a half hour at most," Levi explained. 

"He's with a patient right now, but I'll see what I can do," the woman assured Levi, and he nodded in thanks. "You can have a seat while you wait."

Levi led Eren over to a few chairs that were set up for people who were waiting, and they were mostly empty besides one young soldier sitting on the far left. Levi sat down in the  far right chair, but before Eren could climb up in the chair next to him, Levi picked Eren up and pulled him onto his lap. 

"Levy?" Eren questioned, tilting his head up to look at the older man.

"Someone might need that chair," Levi murmured in defense, but really, it was just an excuse for Levi to hold Eren in his arms.

"Hm? Oh...You're right," said Eren, smirking a bit as he leaned back against Levi's chest. There were plenty of chairs available and the waiting room of the infirmary was practically empty, so of course Eren caught on right away. But why would Eren ever pass up the opportunity to be held by Levi?

Levi's arms wrapped around Eren's tiny waist as he held the boy close, nose finding its way into Eren's chestnut strands. He didn't usually show such affection in public, but he didn't care today. He was one of the most respected captains of the scouting legion, so he knew no one would dare question him about this. He needed to be close to Eren right now, as the boy was more and more vulnerable the closer he came to his heat. Though, Eren could still be far from his heat, or maybe they'd get lucky and Eren wouldn't have a heat at all. Could that even happen? Levi doubted it. 

"Captain, I wasn't expecting you here today," a voice came. Levi snapped out of his thoughts, looking up at Dr. Rusele. "Is anything wrong, sir?"

"No..I just..I hear Commander Erwin's neko is close to heat, so I..." Levi murmured, unsure how to word it. 

"Ah, I understand," Dr. Rusele said immediately. "You'd like me to take a look at Eren, yes?" He asked, and Levi nodded. "Of course, it's no problem at all. As long as it's okay with you, Eren," the man said, and Eren nodded.

"Of course," Eren replied, sliding down from Levi's lap and walking over to the doctor. Levi stood up as well, but Dr. Rusele motioned for Levi to sit down. 

"It'd be better if Eren went in by himself," Dr. Rusele said. 

"B-by himself?" Levi questioned, looking at Eren. 

"Yes. I'm going to have to ask Eren some questions, and I don't want your presence to affect the answer," Dr. Rusele explained. "And if deemed necessary, I may have to do a full body examination to look for the signs of heat. Of course with Eren's consent, and a nurse will be in there as well for safety and legal reasons.."

"You..you're asking me..to stay out here so that you can..undress my neko?" Levi asked, furrowing his brows. What the hell? Full body examination?? Did Erwin consent to that with Armin? "No way in hell am i-"

"Levy, it's alright," said Eren. "I'll be alright." The boy was terrified, but he knew he could do it. If Armin could do it, so could he. 

"Are you sure?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. 

"We'll only be in the examination room, it's right next door," the doctor assured Levi. 

"If Eren says it's alright, then..so be it," Levi gave in reluctantly. "I'll be right out here, Eren. Yell if you need anything and I'll come right in, you understand?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. The brunette quickly ran back over to Levi and hugged his legs, rubbing his cheek against them.

"I'll be okay by myself, Levy," Eren whispered in assurance. 

"I..I know.." Levi stammered quietly, hand coming down to cup the back of the kitten's head. But as soon as he did, Eren was running off toward Dr. Rusele again. The doctor took Eren's hand and began chatting with the kitten as he led him into the next room. 

Levi couldn't help but be tense. He trusted this man as a doctor, but he was always with Eren, and Eren had never had anything this invasive done to him before, let alone without Levi with him. Hell, Eren had never even left the barracks by himself, but now he had some doctor looking at his naked ass? This wasn't fair. Levi didn't know why he was so bothered when Eren was calm, and Eren was the one who this was being done to. 

Levi had had full body examinations before, but still...It was different when it was Eren. When it was his Eren, the Eren that no one's eyes had been on but Levi's.

It was strange to Levi, not having full control over Eren's actions anymore. He wasn't a father figure anymore, he was...in a romantic relationship with Eren now. This was the way it was supposed to be, Levi would just need some time to...adjust. 

He didn't know how long he waited. Twenty minutes? Thirty, maybe? But it felt like much too long to Levi. But eventually, the door opened and Levi stood up. Eren walked out of the room, looking down at his feet a bit shyly. Dr. Rusele came out after the boy, giving Eren's shoulder a pat to motion for him to go join Levi. Eren quickly walked over and Levi picked him up quickly, hugging the boy against himself. "What did he say?" Levi whispered, and Eren shrugged. 

"I don't know, he didn't tell me anything yet," Eren replied, looking up at Levi as Dr. Rusele joined them. 

"You can sit down," said Dr. Rusele, and Levi nodded slowly, sitting down with Eren still in his arms. 

"Is something wrong?" Levi asked with concern. 

"Well, that depends on if you think a heat is a good thing, or a bad thing," Dr. Rusele said simply. 

"I-is my heat close?" Eren whispered, and the doctor nodded. 

"I would say you're not very far behind Armin. You're both very close, but I'd say Eren has two or three weeks at best," the man explained. Levi nodded blankly, still trying to process what the doctor had said. "So you'll have some decisions to make, but I'd say you have quite a bit of time," he said, giving a smile. 

Quite a bit of time? How the hell are  **two weeks** quite a bit of time? Levi forced himself to nod, as Eren was too frozen to say anything. 

"Just keep him in bed when his heat hits, don't let anyone in or out of the room unless you're bringing in a mate for him, and don't bring him out of the room, alright?" The doctor instructed. 

"H-how will I know..when his heat hits..?" Levi asked.

"You'll know," Dr. Rusele assured him. "Fever, sweating, rowdiness, lubrication, self stimulation...You'll know, trust me," said Dr. Rusele. 

God, this sounded crazy. Rowdiness? What kind of rowdiness? No..Levi already knew what kind. 

"Thank..you.." Levi murmured hesitantly, forcing himself to stand up with Eren in his arms, the kitten still not saying a word. Dr. Rusele nodded, saying goodbye and giving them a wave before Levi turned on his heel, rushing off with Eren. 

How could he prepare for this? There were things he had to buy, he had to stock the pantry with food, make sure he had ice in case Eren got too hot, he had to decide where or not he would...Relieve the boy. Two weeks wasn't enough time. Hell, even a whole year wouldn't be enough time for Levi.

"Levy.." Eren murmured quietly. "It's okay."

"What? I know it is, but we've got to-we've got to prepare, alright?" Levi said, looking at the kitten.

"No," said Eren, reaching up and cupping Levi's cheek. "We don't. There's nothing to prepare for.." he said. He was scared on the inside, but at the same time, he felt....at peace. Like he knew what he was doing. 

"Eren? What are you talking about? I-I need stuff to take care of you-" Levi stammered.

"No, You'll know how to take care of me when my heat comes," said Eren. "I know you'll know what to do."

"Eren...Don't..I have no idea what to do," Levi murmured, a bit concerned with how calm Eren was. Eren was never one to be calm, what had changed all of a sudden?

"Just don't think about it, Levy," Eren said. "Whatever happens, happens."

"Eren.." Levi murmured. "How can you be so calm at a time like this?" 

"Because I...I trust you," Eren replied. "I trust you, I know you'll take care of me," he said with complete honesty. Levi looked at Eren, giving a slight frown. He knew those words should calm him, but they only made him feel guilty. What if he let Eren down? He would ruin Eren's trust. He couldn't risk that, but...He didn't have a choice. 

"Alright," Levi said softly, nodding. "Alright.."

* * *

 

It was less than a week later that Levi and Eren received the news. 

"Sir, commander Erwin sent me to give you a message," a young, blonde soldier spoke, standing before Levi and Eren. 

"What is it?" Levi asked as the soldier gave his salute. 

"He sent me to tell you his neko has gone into heat," the young man said, and Eren's eyes widened. 

"Armin.." Eren whispered, looking up at Levi with concern. 

"Thank you. I don't have a message to send in return," Levi said to the soldier, saluting as a signal for the soldier to be on his way. 

"Levi..Armin.." The kitten whispered in concern. "Is he okay? I want to see him."

"Armin and Erwin...must want to be alone," Levi murmured, feeling a bit sick as he said it. "You know that, Bear."

"I know, I just..." Eren murmured. He was scared of his own heat, but for some reason, he was twice as scared of Armin's. Armin must be so scared, Eren thought. He didn't like the thought of his friend being scared, but maybe Erwin was doing a good job to comfort him.

"I know.." Levi mumbled, looking down at Eren. "He'll be alright, Eren." Levi honestly didn't know, but he wouldn't let Eren think something bad was happening to Armin. 

"Y-yeah.." Eren whispered, looking down at his feet, and Levi frowned. 

"Why don't we go back to our room for lunch instead of eating in the cafeteria, hm?" The man suggested in an attempt to distract Eren, taking his hand. 

"Can we have popovers?" Eren asked with hope in his green eyes, and Levi suppressed a smirk.

"Of course. Anything you want, Bear," Levi replied. "Well- not anything. Don't get too crazy," he warned, and Eren gave a slight smile and a giggle as Levi led him out of the room and back up to their own room. Levi opened the door and stepped aside to let Eren in first, then he closed the door behind them. Eren turned around where he stood, looking at Levi before walking back up to the man, wrapping his arms around Levi's legs and pressing his face into Levi's hip, rubbing his cheeks against Levi's 3DMG belts. 

"Levy," Eren whined. "I want cuddles," he begged. 

"Cuddles? I thought you wanted lunch?" Levi questioned, picking the kitten up and sitting down on the small couch, Eren in his lap. 

"I want both," Eren defended, pressing his face into Levi's neck, lips tickling the older's pale skin.

"Mh..I'll give you both," Levi murmured in Eren's ear, but something was different. Levi could feel Eren's lips against his neck, but the boy was no longer speaking...he was..kissing him. He was kissing Levi's neck. "Ere-.." He stammered, brows furrowing in confusion. 

"What?" Eren whispered, but the boy didn't pull away. 

"Nothing.." Levi murmured, pressing a kiss just below Eren's ear, arms wrapping around the boy. His hands moved to rub Eren's lower back, his narrow eyes slowly closing. "Eren," Levi murmured. "Stop kissing my neck."

"Why?" Eren asked in disappointment, pulling away with a frown. 

"Because I want to kiss you," Levi mumbled huskily, pressing his lips against Eren's for the first time since the night in the bathroom when they confessed their feelings for each other. Eren's lips were warm and soft, and only then did Levi become a bit self conscious of his own lips, which were cold and a bit chapped. But Eren didn't seem to mind at all, accepting Levi's kisses without complaint and letting Levi lead the way. 

Eren seemed a bit unsure how to kiss Levi, as he'd never had a romantic relationship before. But he was trying his best, and he wasn't half bad at it. He was wonderful, actually. 

Levi rolled over a bit, still holding Eren against him, but adjusting so that the boy was on the couch, Levi's hands on either side of the kitten's head as he hovered over him. He slowly pressed himself down on top of Eren, but not all of his weight. He only pressed himself down just enough to completely surround Eren, lips still connected with the brunette's. They were both breathing heavily through their noses as the kiss heated up, Levi's tongue finding his way to Eren's pink lips, brushing against them to slowly push its way inside. "Levi," the boy breathed, voice muffled by Levi's lips and tongue. 

"Mh.." Levi hummed, hands sliding down to run down Eren's ass before they slid up beneath his dress. 

The boy gasped slightly against Levi's lips, the man's cold hands startling him, but he quickly relaxed again as he gently moved his hips back and forth on instinct. Eren's cheeks were bright red as he panted slightly, never having felt anything like this before, but..He liked it. No- he loved it. Eren bucked his hips up a bit so his small cock rubbed up against Levi's much larger one through their clothing, making Levi let out an almost feral growl. 

God, that felt good..But it also made Levi snap out of it. He gently pulled away from Eren's lips, still hovering over the boy as he caught his breath. Eren whined in complaint, desperately trying to pull Levi back down to crash their lips back together, but Levi resisted. 

"Eren," he breathed firmly, looking down at the boy. "Now isn't the time."

"Levy, it feels so good," Eren practically whimpered. 

"I know, babe," Levi mumbled, pushing Eren's hair away from his sweaty face. "But you're not ready."

"I am," Eren protested desperately, looking up at Levi with those big green eyes. 

"Eren..No.." Levi murmured. "We'll wait until your heat."

"Levi.." Eren whined, but Levi shook his head. 

"Your heat. I promise, Eren. I promise I'll give you anything you want during your heat, alright?" Levi asked, and Eren reluctantly nodded. Levi let out a deep breath of relief, gently pulling himself away from the kitten. 

He would have sex with Eren when the boy's heat came, but not before then. 

He had to do what was best for Eren.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry!! Ugh I hate this chapter...the next chapter is going to be so hard for me to write, I'm so bad at writing sexy stuff...I'm like the least sexy person ever. I fart when I try to be sexy...
> 
> Eren's dress - http://g04.a.alicdn.com/kf/HTB1p2k.JpXXXXbXXVXXq6xXFXXXD/Girl-Summer-Dress-2015-Toddler-Kids-Embroidery-Cotton-Casual-Dress-Baby-Fashion-Brand-Clothes-Free-Shipping.jpg_220x220.jpg


	17. The Heated Brunette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um UM UM um UMU UMUMUM FUCK ITS HERE. AND IT'S AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER.
> 
> what the hell guys, I feel like Eren grew up way too fast!!!!! Aghhh, fuck, my baby...
> 
> Warning: terrible smut scenes ahead...god I'm so nervous to write this, I hate myself. P.S. Updated tags, just so you know.
> 
> Also, update, my cat ran away. I was up all Friday and Saturday trying to find her and I'm exhausted, but luckily my mom's boyfriend found her. She was covered in mud from playing in it and my boyfriend and I had to give her a bath...which...you can guess, didn't go very well. But she's alright and mostly clean...and since i found her I couldn't really use it as an excuse not to get the chapter out, so I'm spending today writing instead of cleaning up the mess in my bathroom that my cat made. Note: make sure you keep the doors VERY secure when it's muddy outside...your cat will get out...and cause more trouble than Eren falling in a frozen pond.

Armin had just finished his heat a day ago, and Eren hadn't seen him yet. He was nervous and jittery, longing to know what it was like. But at the same time, he was scared to know. What if Armin said it was awful? What if he wasn't well because of it? 

Levi seemed just as nervous. He was looking over at Eren every few minutes when they were together, and even feeling Eren's forehead at times just to make sure the boy wasn't getting a fever. But now it was hard to tell when Eren was getting close to heat, as the boy was acting abnormally due to the fact he was dying to see Armin and ask him about his heat. 

"Levy, please, please can we leave now?" Eren whined as Levi slid on his boots. 

"I'm working on it, Eren. I'm not going to walk all the way to Erwin's room in my socked feet," said Levi. "And you need to remember not to bother Armin too much, alright? Erwin said he's a bit sensitive," said Levi. "He's not used to talking about this kind of thing."

"I know, Levy," said Eren. "I know, I just...I have so many questions I want to ask."

"I know you do, Bear. But you'll need to be considerate of how Armin feels.." Levi reminded. Of course, those were Erwin's words, not his own. Erwin had sent a soldier to give Levi a letter about how Armin was doing after his heat. He was doing well, but it did say that Armin was a bit nervous about talking to Eren about it all. 

"I know," Eren murmured impatiently, still jittery. "I just need to know, Levi, I need to know what it's like." 

Levi sighed, standing up and picking Eren up into his arms once he'd gotten his boots on. 

"You'll find out soon enough," Levi murmured. At least Eren would get to find out what a heat was like before it hit. Levi felt bad that Armin didn't have anyone experienced to help him through it, but at least now he could help ease Eren's worries. Levi wished that he could have helped Eren on his own, but honestly he wasn't prepared at all for this. It sort of made Levi jealous that Armin would be able to do a better job comforting Eren than Levi would, but he knew it was a stupid thing to be jealous over. It's not like Levi could ever have a heat, so he would just have to rely on Armin to tell Eren what it's like. He hoped Armin had good things to say, rather than bad. 

The kitten wrapped his arms around Levi's neck, pressing his cheek against Levi's. "I wanna see Armin," the boy whined. 

"Eren, we're going," Levi grumbled as he walked out the door with the neko clinging to him. Eren had been fussy like a child these past few days. Levi wasn't sure if it was because his heat was near, or because he missed Armin. "Just..Calm down," he sighed against Eren, walking briskly toward Erwin's room. Once they neared. Eren's head snapped up, ears and nose twitching as he smelled the air. "Eren?" Levi questioned the boy. 

"Mh-" Eren was still alert, smelling the air like he was searching for something, his eyes a bit glazed over. This wasn't like him at all. 

Levi tried to ignore it, stepping up to Erwin's door and giving it a few knocks. 

"Just a minute," Erwin's voice called from behind the door, and Levi sighed. Erwin told them to come over and yet the man wasn't even ready. 

"Oi, Erwin, we don't have all day," Levi called back. But, that was a lie. They really did have all day, though Levi did want to go get some work done if he could. 

Levi could practically hear Erwin's eyes roll as the tall blonde opened up the door. "Sorry, I wasn't expecting you and Eren to actually be on time.." Erwin said. Levi would have defended himself, but it was sort of true. Both Levi and Erwin were never ready on time when it came to having to take Eren and Armin somewhere. 

"Yeah, yeah.." Levi muttered. 

"Armin?" Eren asked, seeming to be oblivious to the fact that Erwin was greeting them. "Armin?" 

"He's in bed," Erwin replied. "You can go right in, he said he's excited to see you."

Eren wiggled in Levi's arms and the man set the boy down. Eren tried to run off into Erwin's room, but Levi caught his arm. 

"Oi, remember what I told you, alright?" Levi warned. Eren just whined and yanked his arm away, running off into the room. "Jesus Christ," Levi grumbled. That kid didn't listen to him at all anymore. 

"What, you having some trouble?" Erwin chuckled, crossing his arms. 

"Shut up. No, I'm not. He's just excited to see Armin is all," Levi mumbled, standing up straight. 

"Mh. Armin's been excited to see Eren as well," Erwin replied as he led Levi into the small flat and directly over to the kitchen, where the two usually sat and talked to get some privacy. 

"How is he?" Levi asked, finally noticing the smell. It smelled...different. It smelled like- "Oh god, Erwin," Levi mumbled. "I didn't come here to smell your cock."

"I can't help it, I think it's seeped into the walls," Erwin murmured, almost...proudly, rather than in embarrassment. 

"How many times did you do it? Jesus Christ," Levi mumbled, walking over to the pot of tea Erwin already had on the stove to pour himself a cup. 

"I'm not sure. A lot," Erwin replied. "As much as he wanted." 

"How much did he want it, exactly?" Levi questioned, taking a sip of his tea to hopefully wash out that awful stench. He didn't need to taste it, too. 

"I can't even say. It's more than I've ever had before," said Erwin. "I was getting so tired..I didn't know how much more I could do it." 

"Why didn't you just tell him no?" Levi questioned. 

"I couldn't. I-..I think it affected me almost as much as it affected him. His heat was like a drug to me, Levi," Erwin said. 

"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying you just don't have any self control?" Levi questioned. 

"No, he was...He was irresistible, Levi. He smelled so-so-"

"Alright, enough of that," Levi mumbled into his cup. "I just want to know the basics, I don't want to hear word for word about how you put your dick in that poor kid." 

"It was honestly..It wasn't anything like I expected," Erwin murmured. 

"Alright. So, how should I handle it?" Levi asked. 

"Everyone's different," Erwin replied. 

"Right, but tell me the basics. That's all I need to know, Erwin." 

"There isn't anything to tell. You'll figure it out on your own," Erwin replied, and this was when Levi realized Erwin wasn't just trying to make him mad. 

"Erwin, don't do this," the raven murmured. "Don't. You've got to tell me what to do."

"I can't, Levi," Erwin replied again. "You'll figure it out." 

Eren had made his way over to the bed quickly, staring up at Armin. 

"Armin?" he asked quietly when Armin looked down at him. 

"Eren! Come up here," said Armin, patting the spot next to him in the mess of blankets. Eren grabbed the side of the bed, slowly pulling himself up. 

"Armin?" He repeated. 

"Eren, what's wrong?" Armin asked in concern. 

"It...smells strange.." Eren replied blankly. The scent was..Overwhelming.

"I know," Armin replied. "You'll get used to it." 

"It's strange," Eren repeated quietly. Nekos' noses were much more sensitive than people's, and especially since Eren was coming close to his heat. 

"It's okay.." Armin murmured, looking at Eren. He knew all of this was probably strange to his friend. 

"Are you okay..?" Eren asked the blonde boy, bringing his fingers up to suck on them, something he hadn't done since he was quite little. 

"I'm just fine, Eren," Armin assured. "I'm a bit tired and sore, but Erwin said that's normal." 

Eren shifted, eyes flicking back and forth a bit. "I don't want to do this," he whispered to Armin. 

"Eren.." Armin looked at Eren with concern. "You'll be just fine, I promise. You just have to relax and let your instincts take over."

"What's it like? Is it..does it hurt?" Eren asked, and Armin shrugged. 

"I don't remember a lot of it, i was sort of out of it..But I know that it..That it was wonderful," Armin whispered. "It really was, Eren." 

"But I'm so scared.." Eren replied quietly. "I'm so scared something will happen to me."

"Nothing bad will happen, Levi will be there," Armin replied. "What's wrong with you?"

Eren didn't reply, staring down at the mattress. "Eren?" Armin asked again, but the brunette stayed unresponsive, looking a bit dazed and confused. It was unlike him to be like this, so uncomfortable ad out of it. He didn't know what was wrong, but he didn't feel right. "Erwin!" Armin called, pulling the blankets up tighter around himself in slight fear. The tall blonde quickly turned when he heard Armin, rushing into the room, Levi not far behind him. 

"Armin? What's wrong?" Erwin asked as he rushed over to his kitten. 

"E-Eren-" Armin stammered, which caught Levi's attention. He quickly knelt down next to the boy on the bed, looking him over. 

"Eren?" The raven asked, bringing a hand up to Eren's forehead as his other hand rested on Eren's back. "Shit, he's burning up," Levi hissed in realization that something was wrong. He quickly scooped Eren up, cupping the back of Eren's head. "I have to get him to the infirm-" 

"Home," Erwin interrupted. "You have to take him back to your room, Levi." Erwin knew immediately what it was, and he was surprised Armin didn't. Though, Armin probably didn't remember being dazed by his fever at the beginning stages of his heat since he was, well...dazed. 

"But Erwin.." Levi said, voice hoarse. 

"He's not sick, Levi. Just take him back to your room," Erwin said calmly. "You know what to do."

 _I really don't know what to do,_ Levi thought to himself, but he didn't say it out loud. He didn't want to scare Eren, though he was sure the boy wasn't even listening. He seemed like he was just daydreaming, his forehead pressed against Levi's neck almost as though he was relaxed, but his whole body was tense. 

"Oh.." Armin whispered, hands coming up to his mouth in realization, but Erwin hushed him. Since when was this man so good at everything, especially comfort? "I-...I'll see you later, Eren." Armin whispered. 

"I'll walk you out," Erwin said to Levi, snapping the raven out of his thoughts. Levi wanted to say something, but he couldn't seem to find his voice. He knew if he did say something, it wouldn't make much sense and it might give away that Levi was terrified. He couldn't let Eren know that in the fear that it would scare him, and of course he couldn't let Erwin know that because, well..Levi had too much pride. Erwin led Levi to the door, the raven still clutching Eren tightly against himself. 

"I'll see you in about a week," Erwin whispered, giving Levi a pat on the back before shutting the door practically in the captain's face. 

"Fuck me," Levi murmured under his breath, running a free hand through his hair. It was ironic because he wouldn't be the one being fucked during Eren's heat... "We....we're going back to our room now, Eren," the man spoke up after clearing his throat, and his voice was a lot stronger than he thought it would be. Eren didn't respond, just rubbing his hot forehead and cheeks against Levi's neck. Levi walked quickly down the halls, ignoring anyone that walked past him. He hoped Erwin would tell everyone not to disturb him, after all, he didn't want anyone walking in on him and Eren. 

The man couldn't put together how this had happened so quickly. He unlocked the door to his room with a fumbling hand, stepping inside. Eren had been fine minutes before. How could this happen so quickly? Was it possible that Armin's had triggered Eren's? Yes, hadn't Hanji or Erwin mentioned that before? That was the only explanation Levi could think of. He walked over to the bed, hesitating before pulling Eren away from himself, setting him down in the blankets. The kitten was unresponsive, staying completely stiff, almost like a stick. Eren was staring straight ahead, but soon his eyes began to look back and forth as though registering where he was. Was this really heat? Eren didn't seem horny at all. The boy sat up a bit, letting out a whine as he looked around. Eren didn't hesitate before pulling himself away from Levi and the blankets, crawling toward the edge of the bed. Before Levi could question what Eren was doing, the kitten began rubbing his face on the bed frame, cheeks and neck rubbing against the dark wood quickly. Eren hadn't done that for a long time. 

Of course, once the kitten had first come to live with Levi, he marked everything like a cat would because of his instincts. But now Eren was much older, his catlike senses diminished from being around humans so much. But here the boy was, trying to vigorously rub his face on every inch of the bed frame, his ears almost flat against his head. Eren climbed down from the bed, almost running to the opposite wall, rubbing his cheeks all over Levi's dresser. He could hear the boy panting from here, probably from the fever. Eren pulled open one of the drawers filled with Levi's clothes, beginning to pull out shirts and pants, tossing them all over the floor. 

"Eren.." Levi mumbled, rubbing his temples as he stared at the kitten in confusion. Eren didn't hesitate when he dropped to his hands and knees, beginning to rub himself all over Levi's clothes, almost desperately. He wanted to tell Eren to stop wrinkling and dirtying his clothes, but he couldn't bring himself to. If this was what Eren had to do to cope with his heat, then Levi wouldn't stop him. But the captain couldn't help it when he slowly reached for the leather bound book on his nighstand, flipping to the chapter labeled 'Heat.' He couldn't help but wonder if all nekos went through this. It only took Levi a few minutes to find the stages of heat. There were only four stages of heat, and he could tell Eren was already in the first one. 

_Stage one: Fever, paranoia, panting, licking of mate or scent marking, pacing, animalistic traits will be present. Distancing also may occur, or bumping into things from dizziness and/or lack of senses. Your kitten may prefer to meow instead of talk, crawl instead of walk, or not want to be bothered at all while marking. This stage could last from three hours to a full 24._

Levi looked over at Eren, who was still pulling more clothes out of the dresser and rubbing himself against everything he possibly could. He seemed as though he didn't even know Levi was in the room with him. Levi might have to watch Eren for a full twenty four hours? Fuck, how would he get anything done? He was afraid Eren would run out of the room if Levi didn't keep an eye on him. Levi sighed, standing up and walking over to the bookshelf by the door. He looked over at Eren to make sure the kitten wasn't paying attention to him before he slowly pushed the bookcase a bit to the left, making it cover the door so Eren had no way of getting out if Levi didn't happen to be watching him. He felt like a crazy person, trapping Eren inside the room, but he couldn't risk losing Eren during his heat, even if he doubted Eren would try to leave the room. Levi heard quick little footsteps and he turned around to see Eren running toward him quickly, stumbling a bit like a toddler. "Hey, Bear," Levi murmured, reaching down to caress Eren's head when the boy neared him, assuming Eren was coming to mark him, but Eren simply ducked, running in between Levi's legs and over to the bookshelf, rubbing his cheek against it before he mewed, beginning to toss books out and throw them on the floor. 

"Eren.." Levi sighed, frustrated in more ways than one. Why wasn't Eren marking  **him?** Wait, was Levi really getting jealous of a bookshelf? The captain sighed, scratching the back of his head before walking over to his desk. He sat down in his chair, opening a file of paperwork. When he became a captain of the scouting legion, he never thought there would be so much damn paper involved. He picked up a pen and began signing off whatever needed to be signed, but he kept getting distracted, looking over at Eren marking something else or pulling pots and pans out of the cupboards in the connecting kitchen. He couldn't stop looking at Eren, wondering when the boy would be done and just come cuddle with him.

He wasn't sure how long he had been trying to do paperwork, but it was dark by now. Four, maybe five hours? And yet he'd only managed to read and sign three documents. It was eerily silent now, and Levi turned around, eyes scanning the room for Eren. The room was a complete disaster, literally everything Levi owned was  **everywhere.** His mind was screaming  ** _CLEAN IT, CLEAN IT_** , but he knew he had other things to tend to. He spotted a mop of brown hair sticking out from the bottom drawer of the dresser and Levi walked over, looking inside. He spotted Eren curled up in the drawer, asleep, the kitten barely making it into that tight squeeze. The corner of Levi's lips twitched into a slight smile as he bent down, slowly plucking Eren's limp body from the drawer and into his arms. The boy had several of his fingers between his lips as he suckled on them, his face peaceful and cheeks still rosy red from fever. 

Levi cradled the kitten against himself, staring down at him. "Hey," he whispered, though Eren was fast asleep. It felt good to have Eren in his arms, rather than worrying about the boy running throughout the whole room destroying things. He wouldn't have to worry if Eren was safe in his arms. He carried the boy back over to the now blanket-less bed, picking one up off the floor before he sat down on the mattress, bringing it up around Eren. He slowly and carefully pulled a hand away from Eren to grab the book once again. Now he'd bookmarked the pages about heat.

_Stage two: The end of each stage is marked by deep sleep. Though your neko may sleep for 30 minutes to an hour at a time during heat, only during a stage change will he or she sleep for more than two or three hours. During the second stage, your neko will wake up slowly before showing signs of sexual readiness. Once your neko is fully awake and  has begun to lubricate properly, this means they are ready to mate._

"Ew.." Levi whispered to himself as he continued reading. 

_During this time, your neko will begin to make sexual advances toward you or their preferred mate. Note: only one person should be within fifteen feet of a neko in heat, or they may feel threatened. This stage may last from two to four days, and during this time, your neko should be mating. They should not leave the room at any time and stay in bed, but be cleaned and fed regularly. See page 64 if you are only a caregiver for your neko, and not planning to mate._

Levi hesitated, but didn't turn to the page, slowly closing the book. He was Eren's mate, not his caregiver. He would stick with Eren until the end, giving Eren as much attention as he wanted, including sex. Levi didn't only want to do this for Eren, but for the both of them. For their relationship. Levi wasn't the best at telling Eren how he felt, but he wanted to show him. He wanted to show Eren he was serious about being more than just his caregiver, he was Eren's lover now. They would do everything a normal couple would, and even...have children, if Eren wanted. Levi wouldn't mind that so much, especially if they were like Eren. Well-maybe a little easier to control...that wouldn't be too much to ask for, would it? 

This was weird for Levi, thinking about his future with Eren. Especially when he didn't even know what to do right now in the present. Eren was out like a light, so Levi knew that was the end of stage one. Tomorrow, he would be in stage two. He would be craving Levi and unable to control himself, thirsty for Levi's lips on his own and for the man's hands to be all over him. Levi wasn't even in heat, yet he knew he would want Eren as badly as Eren wanted him. 

He was worried about how high the kitten's temperature was, but he knew he shouldn't be. This was normal, and he would just have to make sure to give Eren water and fruits once the boy was awake and hungry. Levi set the book down on the nightstand, lying down and wrapping himself around Eren protectively, feeling his warm forehead against his own. 

Hours later, sunlight filtered through the window, shining directly on Eren's face. The kitten's eyelids twitched and he whined, breathing heavy. He felt so strange and hot, like he was in a sauna. He rubbed at his eyes, slowly forcing them open. Everything was a bit blurry, and it was hard for Eren to even move. His body felt so heavy. He shifted slightly, fingers curling into the sheets below him as he opened his legs a bit, feeling something practically  _spill_ out of him and rush down his thighs. He gasped, hips jerking a bit as he slowly brought one hand down between his legs, slipping it underneath his dress and into his pink panties. This caused Eren to let out a gasp and a surprised whine at the feeling. He'd never...He'd never felt such pleasure before. He'd never felt any of this before, actually. 

The soft whines slowly brought Levi out of his sleep causing him to groan and blink his eyes open in confusion. His eyes shifted over to Eren, and...The kitten's dress was pulled up, revealing his soft belly all the way down to his hip bones, where Eren's underwear rested. Eren whined again, and that's when Levi registered that Eren's hand was between his legs, and the boy was...touching himself. This really was stage two, right here, right now. 

"Eren," the man whispered as he sat up, cupping Eren's cheek to turn his face toward him, and Eren's eyes were teary as the kitten panted. 

"Le-" He whispered, closing his eyes as he let out another breathy moan. Levi slowly reached down with his free hand, grabbing hold of Eren's small wrist and pulling it gently to remove Eren's hand from his panties. "I need-need-" Eren whimpered. 

"Shh.." Levi wasn't exactly sure how to comfort the boy, but he would try his best. "I'll give it to you," He whispered in reassurance. 

"Please," Eren begged, breathing becoming even more erratic. Levi leaned down slowly, not even hesitating as he began to press slow kisses in a trail up Eren's soft, flat belly, all the way up to his belly button. "Nh-Levy-" Eren moaned shakily, and Levi shushed him as his lips worked gently against Eren's heated skin. He knew what Eren really wanted, but he knew he had to go slow. Actually, he didn't know he had to go slow. It was just what he felt was right, his instincts taking over to make sure the kitten was safe. If he did this too fast, it might be overwhelming for Eren. And besides, he couldn't risk hurting the boy. He would make sure their first time was right. 

Eren was dizzy with lust, pants escaping his pink lips along with desperate whines. How could Armin say this wasn't bad? It was bad. He felt like if he didn't have Levi right now, he would burst into tears. Levi had pulled Eren's dress up even further, revealing the neko's chest and nipples. Levi dragged his lips along Eren's skin, bringing the slow kisses up to the boy's chest and even to his little round buds. Eren brought a heavy hand down on Levi's head to curl his fingers into the man's hair, legs twitching with need. "H-h-Levy, Levy please-" Eren panted, gasping for air. "Please take i-it off me-I'm so hot-" Eren begged. Levi nodded, immediately obeying as he sat Eren up, the kitten completely limp as he did so. He raised up Eren's arms, pulling the dress over his head and tossing it aside. "So hot-"

"You'll be alright, Eren," Levi whispered, leaning down to press his forehead against the kitten's. "Just take deep breaths." 

"N-h-" Eren's hips instinctually bucked up and he almost let out a cry as a few tears slipped down his cheeks. "It hurts," he whispered desperately. 

"I know," Levi whispered. Was Eren really so horny that he was in physical pain? "I'll make it all better, Eren. But I need to ask you a question before I can continue," Levi said quietly, and Eren nodded desperately for Levi to continue. "Are you sure you want this?" Levi asked quietly, staring down at Eren with concern. He felt like he was taking advantage of the boy, after all, he wasn't in his right mind at the moment. 

"Mh-h yes," Eren whispered desperately, letting out a sob as he reached down, trying to grab at the growing erection in Levi's pants. 

"Hey-hey, shh.." Levi mumbled, grabbing Eren's hand gently. "Do you want to have sex with me, Eren? You already know what could happen," Levi whispered. "But I'm willing to go through all of this if you are." 

"I want you, please-" Eren begged, still gasping for air like a fish out of water. 

"I'll give you anything you want, Bear," Levi whispered, leaning down to press his lips against Eren's. Eren whined and kissed back sloppily, almost like he was drunk. He was shaking and trying to wrap his arms around Levi's neck, but they just kept falling back down to the bed clumsily as another wave of desperation would hit Eren, making his whole body jerk. He was panting and gasping against Levi's lips, tears still slipping down his cheeks. Levi didn't dare break their sloppy kiss as his hand trailed down Eren's bare belly and reached the hem of his panties. "I've got you," He whispered against Eren's lips, barely audible as he began to slide the soaked panties down Eren's legs. As soon as he did, an overwhelming smell hit him. The boy already smelled like sex, and yet they hadn't even done it. It wasn't a bad, smell, though. It was sort of sweet, yet pungent. It smelled exactly like Eren's scent amplified and mixed with the smell of sex, and...Levi...he liked it. He  _loved_ it. He threw the panties aside, his hand slowly moving down between Eren's warm thighs. 

"I-want, want-" Eren whispered, voice hoarse as Levi's fingers slowly grazed over Eren's hole, lubricant beginning to coat Levi's fingers. Eren's cock, much smaller than a human male's, was hard as well, pressed against the boy's belly and beads of pre-cum leaking from the tip. But Levi knew Eren's ass was mainly the cause of Eren's horniness. 

"This?" Levi whispered, fingers rubbing around Eren's puckered hole, running over it, but not yet entering. Eren nodded eagerly, almost tempted to grab Levi's hand to try and force him to go faster. Levi slipped the tip of his finger into Eren's little hole, and it was still tight, even with Eren's excessive amounts of lubricant. 

"h-mh-oh!" Eren gasped, tugging at Levi's shirt as his hips instinctually bucked, causing his hole to swallow up Levi's index finger down to the second knuckle. Eren's breath hitched and he immediately froze up in surprise. 

"Slow, slow, Eren," Levi murmured, putting a hand on the boy's belly to still him. "Am I hurting you?" He asked. 

"No-no," Eren whispered breathlessly. "Mh-I need more." 

"I'm getting there," Levi assured. Levi had been with nekos before, but never a virgin. Eren was much smaller than a human, and Levi was...well, let's just say his dick wasn't small. He wanted to be careful, he didn't know what he would do if he hurt Eren. He slowly slipped his finger all the way in, making Eren whine in probably pleasure, but maybe some discomfort. Levi moved in to kiss Eren's pink lips again to hush the boy, his finger slowly beginning to move in and out, picking up the pace as he went along. Eren was whining and moaning against Levi's lips, legs wrapping around the older male's waist. Levi couldn't stop kissing the boy as he reached down to fumble with his belt, sliding it off and tossing it aside before beginning to do the same with his pants. He was already hard and he wanted to bury himself inside Eren so badly, but he knew he had to resist until Eren was ready. He only broke the kiss for a second to tear off his shirt, and soon enough, Levi was naked as well. 

He hovered over the boy, strong arms holding him up as his chiseled abs twitched in time with his cock. He gently brought his hips down, rubbing his member against Eren's much smaller one. It wasn't even half the size of Levi's, but Levi liked that. It wasn't like Eren was going to fuck Levi, now was he?

Levi slowly slid down, second finger pushing up against Eren's entrance to slowly slide in. Before Eren could feel any discomfort, Levi quickly distracted the boy by clamping his teeth down gently on Eren's prominent hip bone, nipping at the skin. Eren gasped at the mix of feelings, back arching slightly as Levi kept nipping and sucking at Eren's hips, leaving hickeys all over Eren's tan skin. He thrusted his fingers in and out of the boy faster and faster until he heard the kitten let out a loud mew mixed with a moan, Eren's toes curling. 

"Is that your sweet spot, huh?" Levi whispered, lips grazing across Eren's stomach as he left a hickey there as well. 

Eren mewed again, unable to reply as his whole body shook with pleasure. He couldn't even control himself, this all felt so good. He never thought he would enjoy sex this much, and Levi wasn't even trying hard to pleasure Eren yet. This was only the appetizer, and Eren was ready to skip the main course and go all the way to dessert. 

Levi curled his fingers inside the boy, making Eren yelp with pleasure, bucking his hips as he did. Levi held down Eren's hips with his free hand, moving down to spread Eren's legs more and kiss Eren's inner thighs, which were still coated with lubricant. He tasted so fresh, with a little bit of salty sweetness. It was so much better than Levi ever thought it would taste. He'd never tasted it before, as he was a bit of a clean freak. But when it came to Eren, nothing was off limits. Levi wanted every single bit of him. 

He kissed and sucked at Eren's thighs, marking those with hickeys as well. He wanted Eren to be covered with his markings, Eren was  **his.**

"Please-" Eren choked out, beads of sweat forming on the kitten's forehead. "More." 

Levi knew Eren was loose enough for him to slip in a third finger, which made Eren's face twist up in a mix of emotions before his face relaxed and he let out a soft moan. Levi moved his hand to let Eren buck his hips disjointedly against Levi's fingers. He brought his free hand to Eren's forehead to wipe away the sweat before pressing a tender kiss there, his fingers running through Eren's hair gently. He removed his fingers from Eren's hole with a slight popping sound, making Eren gasp and start letting out whining sobs of desperation. 

"Shh-shh, Eren," Levi whispered to the crying omega. "I'm right here, I'm going to give you what you want," he assured him. Eren nodded, taking shaky breaths. He was..scared. He wanted this more than anything, but at the same time, he was scared. What if it hurt? What if he got pregnant? There were too many things that could go wrong. 

"Don't," Levi whispered, almost as though reading Eren's thoughts. "Don't fret," he whispered to the kitten, running his hand through the boy's soft hair still. "I won't hurt you. It'll make you feel all better, Bear. I promise."

Eren knew Levi would never lie to him. He trusted the man fully and completely. He let out a nod as he brought his hands up, pulling at Levi's shoulders and letting out little whines, unable to speak. Levi got the hint and bent down, pressing his lips to Eren's for a good long few seconds before pulling away. He got in the right position between Eren's legs, lifting them up to raise the kitten's lower half. "Wrap your legs around me, Bear.." Levi murmured, and Eren obeyed as best as he could. Levi moved his hands to hold Eren's hips, not hesitating to slide them down and grope Eren's fleshy ass. "Tell me if you want me to stop, don't be afraid.." Levi assured eren. His voice was gentler and more calm than it had ever been before, and it did wonders with calming Eren. Levi moved forward a bit, positioning his member in front of Eren's hole before slowly starting to push forward, stretching Eren's heat around him. "Fuck," Levi hissed, instant pleasure hitting him. This was better than anything he'd ever felt before. 

Eren's eyes closed and his brows furrowed in concentration as he let out a little whine. 

"Fuck, you're tight," Levi whispered to Eren, panting as he felt himself begin to fall apart. It was so hard to hold back and to not shove into Eren all at once, but he had to go slow for Eren's sake. He pushed in a couple more inches, making Eren bite his lower lip to keep it from quivering. "Almost there," Levi whispered, wiping the sweat from his forehead before shakily pushing himself in the rest of the way, making Eren yelp and shake his head from side to side as he let out whining sobs. 

"Shh, Bear-" Levi grunted as Eren's hole tightened around Levi's cock. "Just relax, you've gotta relax," Levi mumbled. Fuck, Eren's tense ass felt good around Levi's shaft, but he knew tense muscles weren't giving Eren much pleasure. "Relax," he repeated quietly, massaging Eren's hips. "Breathe," he reminded the kitten. 

Eren let out a shaky breath before taking in some air, slowly beginning to breathe in and out as he let himself relax. His tense muscles loosened up a bit, giving Levi much more room. He didn't do much at first, but he slowly moved back and forth, not moving much more than half an inch to get Eren used to it first. Eren whined a bit, but he started panting with pleasure as he loosened up even more, and Levi took that as his cue to begin moving in and out quite a bit more. This elicited a moan from Eren, the boy not holding back his vocals as pleasure hit him like a carriage. Levi grunted again as he began to speed up, gripping Eren's hips so hard he would probably leave bruises. 

"H-h-fuck," Eren choked out. He wasn't sure if he'd ever said that word more than a couple times in his life, but right now seemed like an appropriate time. After all, they were fucking. The boy moaned louder, voice cracking as Levi pulled almost all the way out and then pushed himself back in. He pulled Eren down so he was flat on the bed, bringing Eren's hips up even more as he increased his pace and aimed upwards for that very same spot he'd hit with his fingers. He knew he'd found it when Eren's back arched and he screamed Levi's name, eyes rolling back a bit. This wasn't at all like a person or a normal neko not in heat. Eren looked so disjointed and in too much pleasure to even handle, nothing a normal person would get from sex. Levi sped up, the front of his thighs slapping against Eren's ass cheeks as sweat dripped down Levi's face and dropped onto Eren's tan skin. 

Eren's back was arched so high the kitten could barely breathe, making him let out desperate gasps for air as Levi pounded into him. Levi slid his hands beneath Eren's back, practically lifting the kitten off the bed as he leaned down, pressing his lips to Eren's ribs and leaving sloppy kisses before moving up to one of Eren's nipples, taking the pink bud into his mouth and beginning to suck. 

"Gh-h-" Eren gasped and his eyes almost rolled back again as his hands twisted into the sheets, body otherwise limp with pleasure. Levi's thrusting made Eren's little body jerk rather violently, but Eren didn't mind it. All he could focus on right now was the pleasure. 

Levi gently rolled Eren's nipple between his teeth, letting out an almost feral growl of pleasure and possessiveness of his kitten. He was already so close from how good Eren felt around him. He'd never had anyone turn him on this much before, he'd never had anyone threaten to make him cum so early. He reached down, taking Eren's little member and wrapping his whole hand around it, beginning to give it a few pumps, his lips still around Eren's nipple. 

All of this at once was so overwhelming to Eren and he didn't know how much more he could take. His vision was spotty and he was practically hyperventilating, which only got worse once Levi began to pump his cock. "Le-I can't-" Eren choked out as he tried to get in air in between moans. "I can-t-I ca-n't I-" Eren was cut off by something he'd never felt before. It was a warm feeling spreading all throughout his little member and he practically screamed as his body jerked, cum shooting out in a white stream and hitting Levi's abdomen, dribbling all down it and into every crevice Levi had from the chest down, there was so much since it was Eren's first time. 

"Fuck, Bear-" Levi groaned, Eren's climax triggering his own. Eren wasn't even finished cumming when Levi shot his load inside of the boy, making him grunt and moan in pleasure. He brought himself down completely on top of the boy to be as close to Eren as possible, letting out the last of his disjointed thrusts as he finished off. Cum was dripping from around Levi's cock and out of Eren's opening, there was just so much. Levi hadn't done it in so long, and this was the most turned on he'd ever been. Eren let out little whines and a few shakes before he closed his eyes, going limp and letting his head loll to the side in complete and utter exhaustion. 

"Eren," Levi whispered in concern, leaning down to press his forehead against Eren's burning hot one. Eren let out a barely audible hum of a whine in response, which told Levi he was still conscious. He kissed Eren's forehead and each of his cheeks, then Eren's lips, even though the kitten didn't kiss back. He pulled out as slow as he could so he wouldn't disturb Eren, more white cum spilling out from in between Eren's limp legs. Eren let out another whine of protest when Levi pulled out, but he was too exhausted to even open his eyes, let alone argue. Levi slowly lifted the kitten up into his arms, holding him against his bare chest. "I've got you," he whispered, holding the back of Eren's head. "I always will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, this chapter was so different to write. But I think I enjoyed it? Eren's heat will continue in the next chapter, which will be up next Monday. Let me know what you guys think <3
> 
> Eren's dress: https://img0.etsystatic.com/052/0/6211059/il_340x270.677629854_73u4.jpg
> 
> Eren's panties: http://cdnph.upi.com/sv/b/upi_com/UPI-4271413554893/2014/1/052dae9fd7bbe0809a2d72aa67e7e73f/Lawsuit-Man-awoke-from-surgery-in-pink-panties.jpg
> 
> ~ SEXY OUTFIT PREVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER ~
> 
> Eren's lingerie: http://www.i.evergl.com/img_t/FN0212_T2.jpg


	18. The Heated Brunette (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prepare for smexy sexy fergalicious fun time

Eren felt like he was on a cloud, over the walls and in a completely different world entirely. He felt so at peace that he didn't even know how to comprehend it. Part of him doubted it was even real. His eyes were closed and his face snuggled in Levi's neck as the man rocked them both gently back and forth, his hand gently massaging the back of Eren's head. 

Levi was always gentle with Eren, but this was different. Levi seemed to be in just as much bliss as Eren, even though Eren was the one in heat. Eren mewed softly like a young kitten and Levi shushed him, pressing a kiss to the shell of his human ear. Maybe Eren meowed on instinct, or maybe he was just trying to milk as much love and affection out of Levi as he could. After all, the boy did love being spoiled. 

And of course, Levi loved spoiling him. 

Eren opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out, only a tiny whine and a yawn, which made Levi's heart practically melt. Levi wanted to hold the kitten longer, but they were both incredibly...sticky. "I should've thought this through better," Levi sighed. "I think we need a bath, especially you.." Levi knew how important it was to keep nekos clean and fed during heat. Or...at least, thats what the book said, but it seemed like a reasonable and logical thing to do anyway, right? 

"Mh-" Eren let out another whine, rubbing his cheek against Levi's neck and letting his tiny fingers run along Levi's muscled back. "Don't let go," he whimpered to the man. 

"I won't," Levi assured the kitten. "How about a nice, cool bath, hm?" Levi suggested, petting Eren's hair gently. "It'll cool you down and get you all cleaned up, and I'll be right there with you." He brushed a strand of hair away from Eren's face, bringing his finger gently down Eren's rosy cheek. The kitten responded by turning his head suddenly, taking Levi's finger into his mouth and sucking on it. It scared Levi, because for some reason, he thought Eren was relying so much on animalistic instincts that Eren was going to bite him. "Oh-" Levi jumped slightly as Eren sucked on his finger. That was...new. "Bear, I-" Levi wasn't even sure what to say at the moment. 

He hated any type of bodily fluids, especially spit. Hanji spit  **a lot** when she talked loudly. But this...this he didn't mind so much. Eren looked so at peace, and..hot. He looked hot. Levi hated to admit this because honestly it made him feel like an old pervert, but he'd never been more attracted to Eren than he was right now, in this moment. Well...except for a few minutes ago when he was balls deep inside the kitten. He ran a hand through Eren's messy hair, pressing another kiss to his forehead. He tried to pull his finger away from Eren's mouth, but the kitten resisted, bringing up his tiny hands to hold Levi's much larger hand in place. "Do you expect me to carry you with only one hand?" Levi questioned, and Eren let out a whine and nodded, hands still eagerly wrapped around Levi's wrist. It didn't help Levi's situation that Eren was letting out little moans and mews as he sucked on Levi's finger with more devotion Levi had ever even seen from a soldier fighting titans. 

"Le-" Eren whined around Levi's finger, letting out another mew as he felt more of his body's natural lubrication slide down the tender insides of his supple thighs. Levi took in a shaky breath through his mouth, closing his eyes. He couldn't see this and he couldn't smell it, or else  _fuck_ he would lose control. 

"You need a bath, and food," Levi tried to say firmly, but his voice was still shaking a bit. Only Eren could make Levi fall apart completely with such little effort. The man finally managed to stand up on his weak feeling legs, holding Eren tight against himself with one arm, since he couldn't really take his hand away from Eren. The kitten hung limp in his arms, like a rag doll, his feet half-heartedly swinging a bit as though he wanted to wrap his legs around Levi's waist, but he'd sort of lost all senses right now. His head was still resting in the crook of Levi's neck, little hands holding onto Levi's wrist gently. "Someone's tired," Levi observed, though he knew this was only normal. Eren's temperature was still high and that was obviously making him delirious and tired, which was exactly what it was supposed to do. He carried Eren to the bathroom, leaning down to turn on the faucet to let warm water begin spilling into the tub. One of the perks of being a captain, of course, was having a bathtub instead of having to use the public showers like the other soldiers. Hot water and a relaxing bath were rare in these parts, and Levi couldn't even imagine having to bathe Eren in a lukewarm shower, especially the first time he had to give Eren a bath. He'd still probably have nightmares about that forever, especially Eren asking about his...no no carrot. 

He made sure the water was warm, but yet still cooling to soothe the boy. It was sort of how he imagined the temperature of the ocean to be, or the pond in early summer. 

He sat down on the edge of the tub while he waited for it to fill, talking to Eren in a soothing voice. He didn't really talk about anything in particular, but just things that were nice to hear about. He knew Eren didn't have much control of his senses right now, but he still wanted him to feel comfortable. Levi felt...so much...different. But it wasn't a bad thing. 

Once the tub had filled up, Levi didn't hesitate to lean over the side to lower Eren in. The boy whined a bit and kept trying to latch onto Levi's neck, but Levi eventually got him into the water. It wasn't like Eren could make much of a fuss anyway, and once the kitten was in, he took a deep breath of relief and let it out slowly. 

"Better?" Levi asked softly, cupping some water with his hand to drizzle it down Eren's back. Eren nodded, immediately starting to purr. 

"Mh..Levy," the kitten whispered as he leaned back into the tub, submerging everything except his ears and face. 

"Hm?" Levi asked, rubbing his hand gently across Eren's soft chest and belly. 

"Feels...better.." Eren mumbled, words a bit slurred. 

"Yeah?" Levi asked. This was the closest Eren had gotten to conversation since sex. He guessed it was because the cool water probably brought Eren's fever down a degree or two. The two things that soothed Eren during heat so far were cool baths, and of course sex. But even with the cool water lapping against Eren's skin, the boy's legs were visibly shaking and his hands seemed to be itching to touch himself. But at least now Eren could function a bit and calm down. 

"So good," Eren sighed, closing his eyes. "I nev-thought Armin...he said so good, i didn't believe.." Eren murmured breathlessly. 

"Shh.." Levi held back a chuckle at Eren's attempt at discussing sex. "We'll talk about it once your heat is over," he assured the neko, and Eren nodded. 

"Will you..mh..give it to me again?" Eren asked, voice a bit desperate.

"Of course I will," Levi confirmed. "I just can't give it to you all the time. Even humanity's strongest can only climax so many times in a day, and besides, you need your rest," he said quietly, and Eren nodded, but let out a little whine. 

Eren honestly wished he could just have sex with Levi 24/7. Was that too much to ask? Well..it wasn't too much to ask according to Eren.

Levi gently washed Eren's body and scrubbed his cookie brown hair, being careful not to get water in Eren's ears since he knew Eren didn't like that. This was relaxing not only for Eren, but for Levi as well. He missed doing things like this with Eren since Eren had become much more independent as he got older. Maybe Eren would let Levi give him baths more frequently now. Maybe they could even...take baths together. Would that be weird? No, didn't married people do that? Levi didn't know, he didn't ask anyone about their bathing activities. Maybe he would ask Mike, you know, on a...Captain to Captain basis.That wasn't weird, right?

"Mh.." Eren let out a slight whine and a purr, shifting in the tub. "You ready to get out?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. The man reached under the sink and pulled out the softest towel he owned, plucking Eren gently from the tub and immediately wrapping him up like a little baby burrito. He rubbed Eren dry gently, not wanting the kitten to get cold, though he doubted that would happen since his temperature was rising again.

"Levy," Eren whispered, barely audible. 

"Hm?" Levi looked down at the damp boy. 

 _"Touch me,"_ Eren requested, voice smooth and firm. Levi had to refrain from shuddering like some kind of horny teenager. 

"E-Erebear, later," Levi mumbled in assurance, standing with the boy and heading out of the bathroom. "I've got to wash off myself, alright? I'll only be a minute," the captain mumbled as he set Eren down on the sofa since the sheets on the bed were soiled. 

"Levy-" Eren requested again, voice whiny as the man set him down. Eren couldn't help it when his hands immediately found their way between his legs. Hey, if Levi wasn't going to take care of it, somebody had to. 

Levi wasn't in the bath very long, maybe five minutes at most. He thought Eren could at least wait that long..But of course, he was wrong. He walked out with a towel around his waist, his damp hair sticking to his forehead as he eyed Eren touching himself. It was still so strange to Levi how horny someone could actually be during heat, especially someone he saw as so young and innocent. "I'm sorry to have to say this, but we've got to get some food in you so you're going to have to get your hands out of there.." Levi said firmly. He didn't want to be the bad guy, but he knew he had to in order to take care of Eren. His main priorities were keeping Eren clean and fed, just like when he was a baby. 

Eren let out a little whine, completely ignoring Levi. "Eren..." Levi mumbled, but he sighed, walking over to the dresser to pull out a t-shirt. He knelt down next to Eren on the sofa, taking Eren's arms to still them as he tried to slip the shirt on the kitten. 

"No-too hot-" Eren whimpered, struggling with his head inside the shirt, frantically trying to get it off. 

"You've got to wear something," Levi said, shaking his head. If Eren was naked  **all** the time, hell, Levi would never get anything done. 

"Hot- so hot," Eren whispered, panting. Levi sighed, taking the shirt off Eren and setting it next to him on the couch. 

"I suppose, I...I could have you wear...something else I picked up a while ago," Levi murmured. It was much breezier, but Levi wasn't sure Eren would be up for wearing it. The man was honestly embarrassed that he'd picked it up at all. He actually had to have it custom made. 

When Levi knew he would be spending Eren's heat with him, he decided to buy a little gift, but soon after thought it inappropriate and didn't want to offend Eren with it. But now was as good a time as any to give it to him. Levi got up from his knees, walking over to his closet and reaching for the top shelf, which he had to stand on his toes to reach. He pulled down a brown box, lifting the lid and sighing as he pulled out a two piece pink, lacy lingerie outfit. It basically only consisted of a pair of pink panties and a see through tank top that was open in the stomach area, but closed at the chest and tied with a pink bow. He'd went to practically the ends of the earth to find an underground place to get this done. 

"Would you..wear this?" Levi mumbled, holding up the lingerie. It was barely any clothing at all. 

"Mh-yes-" Eren panted, and Levi's narrow eyes nearly widened in surprise. 

"Are you sure?" Levi asked. 

"Anything that isn't so hot," Eren whispered. "Clothes make me so hot."

"I doubt this'll make you hot. You won't even notice it's there," Levi assured the boy, walking over with quick strides, finding himself almost.... **excited.** He raised Eren's arms up and slipped the open front top on him, then helped him slip the panties onto his shaking legs. Eren was lying on the sofa in his lingerie, hair splayed across his face as he panted, his eyes closed. Levi had never noticed how flush the boy's cheeks were or how long his eyelashes were until now as he looked Eren over. Fuck, he looked so perfect. He looked so vulnerable and sexy, his panties already forming a slight wet spot as Eren rolled his hips desperately. Levi couldn't even stop himself as his hand reached out, rubbing over the bulge in Eren's panties. 

"H-ah-" Eren's brows furrowed and he moaned, hips rolling again as Levi's hand grazed his member. 

Levi had no idea why he'd decided to dress Eren in  **this** of all things. Hell, this was worse than wearing no clothes at all. Levi felt himself shaking as he resisted the urge to pounce on Eren, and it wasn't helping he could hear the boy softly begging for Levi to do exactly what Levi was trying not to do. The captain had to close his eyes to avoid looking at Eren, and he took in a deep breath through his nose. But all he could smell was sex, sex they had earlier, the strong scent of sex coming from in between Eren's legs. He couldn't take this anymore. His eyes snapped open and the towel fell from around his waist as he quickly wrapped his arms around Eren, roughly flipping him onto his stomach. 

Levi didn't usually lose control like this, and he was afraid Eren would protest, but all he received from the kitten was, "Levi-Levi, more-" in a tone of desperation. Levi bit back a growl as he pulled the panties off Eren in one swift motion, the boy's tail twitching in excitement. Levi didn't toss the panties aside like he did last time, though. He brought them up to his face, pressing them against his nose and breathing in Eren's sweet scent. It honestly did smell sweet. It smelled nothing like normal sex, it smelled like clean sex and honey. Was it just Levi who thought this? He didn't care. It smelled amazing. 

He finally tossed the panties aside, hooking his fingers underneath Eren's hipbones to yank the boy's ass up into the air as his chest and cheek rested on the couch, soft whines coming from the boy. "Fuck," Levi growled, not even bothering with foreplay as he lined himself up, shoving into Eren in one swift motion. Eren let out a yelp, followed by a moan as Levi began vigorously fucking him. Eren couldn't even stay quiet for more than a second as Levi thrusted in and out, in and out. 

"H-ah-Levi-Levi-hih-" Eren moaned, tears coming to his eyes from the overwhelming pleasure as Levi's hands gripped Eren's hips so hard, the boy already had red marks. Levi couldn't help himself. He didn't even feel human anymore, he felt like a complete animal as he forced Eren down completely flat on the sofa with his rough thrusting. He was on top of Eren, covering the small body completely with his own larger one as he rammed in again and again, Eren's insides squeezing him just right, and Eren's moans and cries encouraging him to continue. Eren was completely limp beneath Levi, letting the man's thrusts rock his little body violently until Eren tensed and let out a yelp of slight pain as he felt Levi's teeth clamp down on his shoulder. 

Levi bit down on Eren's flesh, hard, but not hard enough to break the skin. He soothed it by licking and kissing at it, then biting a different part of the boy. Eren would yelp in pain, but then beg Levi for even more if Levi didn't bite him again. "Eren-" Levi growled, sweat dripping down his face as he pushed himself balls deep into the boy as hard as he could, slamming Eren's tiny frame into the sofa cushions. Levi was going to ask Eren if he was close, but he realized something wet and sticky on the sofa. Eren had already came, who knows how long ago, and when Levi pulled the boy's limp body upright a bit Eren was shaking and jerking before he suddenly came  **again.** Levi quickly caught as much of it as he could with his hand, a bit shocked that Eren came twice in one go. But once the shock was gone, it only turned Levi on more. He lowered Eren again once the kitten came down from his orgasm, Eren going completely silent as his body went limp again, Levi fucking him on full power. And that was a lot of power, especially for someone as small as Eren. "Fuck, Eren-I-" 

Levi let out a low moan, thrusting all the way in and gripping at the couch cushions as he spilled his seed inside of Eren. Levi's vision went black for a moment or two as sweet release hit him, hips still disjointedly thrusting into his kitten before his climax finished. He let out one last thrust, panting as he almost collapsed on top of Eren out of exhaustion, but he caught himself with his elbows.

He'd never felt something so amazing before. He felt like a completely new man, and he had no clue why. 

He caught his breath as he calmed down, Eren still lying face down beneath him as he shakily pulled out of the boy, a bead of white dripping down between Eren's legs. 

"Eren," Levi breathed. "That was amazing." Eren didn't reply, so Levi turned Eren over, the boy's arms flopping like a rag doll. He was out cold. 

 _No wonder,_ Levi thought to himself. Climaxing twice within five minutes? Eren's little body didn't have nearly enough energy or fluids for that, plus he was hot with fever. Levi was a bit worried, but at the same time, he wasn't. He didn't know why, but he knew Eren was perfectly okay. He supposed his instincts were telling him. Any other time, he would freak out if Eren passed out during sex. But he knew Eren was perfectly well and safe in his arms, but could possibly use an hour or so of sleep and a cool cloth on his head. 

Eren looked so perfect and peaceful in Levi's arms, breathing calm, but steady, and his eyelids twitching slightly. "Someone's exhausted, huh?" Levi whispered to the kitten in his arms, standing on slightly shaky legs as he laid down a clean sheet on the bed before setting Eren down. He kissed the kitten's warm forehead before going to get two wet cloths. He placed one on Eren's forehead, and he used the other to wipe Eren and himself clean. And of course he made sure to put a glass of water on the nightstand. 

He felt a bit guilty, though. He should've been doing a better job at keeping Eren hydrated, as that was important whenever someone's temperature rose. He knew Eren would be alright, but he would just have to make sure to do a better job at keeping Eren hydrated. 

Levi slid on a pair of boxers and a white t-shirt, slipping into bed beside Eren and picking up the same old book he'd been relying on throughout Eren's heat. 

_Stage Three: This usually occurs 2-4 days after stage two, and most cannot tell the difference between stages two and three, as there isn't much of a noticeable difference. During this time, your neko will be most fertile, and be considered fully mature. Continue same procedures mentioned in stage two._

_Stage four: This is the final stage of your neko's heat, and it is known as the cool down. Your neko's fever will slowly reside and he or she will become more aware of their surroundings. They may feel soreness, sickness, emotional vulnerability, and cling to their chosen mate. It is important to keep your neko in bed until they are fully recovered, and be sympathetic when it_ _comes to emotional needs and wants. During this stage, your neko may or may not be experiencing the first symptoms of pregnancy._

Levi slowly closed the book, setting it on the nightstand as he let out a deep sigh. He and Eren would have a lot to talk about once this heat was over. 

* * *

It was the sixth day of Eren's heat when the boy began to come to. Sixth? Seventh? No, probably seventh. Levi had lost track of the days, and Eren hadn't even been counting in the first place. 

"Le-vy..?" Eren murmured hoarsely, blinking his tired eyes open. His vision was a bit blurry, but he could tell Levi wasn't there. "L-Levi!" Eren yelled in panic, trying to sit upright, but he found he was in too much pain to do so. "Levy! Levi!" He screamed. 

"Eren!" Levi yelled, almost dropping the cup of tea he was making as he slammed it on the counter so he could rush to Eren's side. "Erne-Whats wrong, what's wrong? I'm right here," Levi assured the kitten firmly as he dropped down on his knees beside the bed. 

"H-hih," Eren let out a hitched breath of relief when Levi arrived at his side. "I-I didn't know where you were and I-I can't see straight and I can't move-" Eren stammered in fear, words a bit slurred from exhaustion. 

"Shh..Shh, I know.." Levi murmured, putting a hand on Eren's forehead. He was significantly cooler than he had been this past week, though he was still warm. So, this was the end, wasn't it? The end of Eren's heat- not like someone was dying or anything. 

"What's going on?" Eren whimpered. "Everything hurts, I'm in so much pain."

"I know," Levi repeated. It was all he could say. "It's your muscles, they're recovering. You've been doing a lot of...physical...activity this past week, and you didn't feel the pain until just now because the fever was keeping you delirious. Trust me, my muscles are sore too," Levi assured the boy, brushing his hair away from his forehead soothingly, and Eren closed his eyes. 

"I don't...feel like..I want sex anymore, I don't feel hot, I'm cold.." Eren mumbled softly. "And tired." 

Levi quickly pulled a blanket over Eren, tucking him in gently. 

"I know it doesn't seem like it, but trust me, it's normal.." Levi assured him. "Your heat is over, Eren."

Eren furrowed his brows as he tried to remember most of what happened that week. He remembered amazing sex, but not even a particular time they had sex. He just knew they did and it was amazing. And...he vaguely remembered some very sexy clothing. "I..don't even remember half of it.." He admitted.

"There's not really much to remember.." Levi murmured. "I fed you, I bathed you, you begged me a lot for sex, and I gave it to you...You slept a lot, too. And..." Levi looked around the room. It was still complete and utter chaos. "We didn't really have any time for cleaning."

"Smells weird in here.." Eren mumbled. 

"I was going to open a window, but it...was jammed," Levi lied. Even if it was jammed, Levi would've gotten it open. The truth was, he  _wanted_ that smell in the room. But he wouldn't admit that to Eren, of course. 

"S'alright, I don't mind it.." Eren murmured tiredly. 

"You rest, I'll get you some tea and biscuits..." Levi murmured, standing up slowly. 

"No-don't go," Eren immediately whimpered, eyes snapping open as he weakly reached for Levi, but his hand didn't get very far before just flopping down onto the bed. 

"I'll be right in the kitchen, Eren.." Levi murmured in confusion. "I've already got the tea made, I only have to grab the biscuits. You'll be able to see me from here, alright?" He asked, and Eren nodded reluctantly. 

Levi returned just as quickly as he promised he would, setting the tea and biscuits down on the nightstand. Eren preferred milk over tea, but Levi figured the warmth would help soothe the boy. He propped up Eren's pillows a bit before very gently helping Eren sit in a more upright position. 

"My legs are completely numb.." Eren mumbled. 

"Yeah, I figured they would be. And...your ass?" Levi asked in concern. 

"I might be broken from the waist down," Eren chuckled softly. "But it's not so bad as long as I stay still.." 

"That's good. I was worried I had really hurt you.." Levi murmured. "I wasn't exactly as gentle as I'd hoped during sex." 

"Why?" Eren asked. "I-i mean I'm not complaining. From what I remember, it was too good to believe."

"I don't know," Levi admitted. "You just-I wanted you so badly, Eren. My instincts turned in and I-I turned into some kind of sex crazed animal." 

"So, you turned into me?" Eren asked.

"You don't count as an animal, you're more human than any actual human I know," Levi said, and it was true. "I just don't know what came over me. Now I know what Erwin was talking about, with instincts and all."

"I hurt all over, but I..I feel good. I feel really good," Eren admitted softly, Levi helping him take a sip of his tea after he spoke. 

"I do too," Levi whispered, setting the cup back down on the nightstand as he stared at Eren. "I'll be here for whatever you need, Eren. Anything." 

Eren blushed a bit, looking away. "I would say I don't need anything, but that's a lie. I'm going to need a bit of help moving around when I have to get up," said Eren. 

"I already figured that. It's not like I don't carry you everywhere, anyway..." Levi mumbled, eyeing Eren, and the boy blushed an even deeper red. "I've been taking care of you for the past seven days. I don't mind doing it for another two or three until you're recovered," Levi admitted. He actually  _enjoyed_ taking care of Eren. He loved him, after all. 

"But you're not leaving this room, and you're not getting out of bed or straining yourself in any way," Levi said firmly.

"What? Why?" Eren asked in confusion. It wasn't like he wanted to leave the room or the bed, but he was surprised Levi was being so serious about it.

"Because..." Levi murmured. "Eren, there....There's a very probable chance that you're...pregnant," Levi spoke quietly, looking up into Eren's now tear filled, Caribbean eyes. "As soon as you're well, I'm having the doctor come up here to confirm it," he whispered.

But he didn't need a doctor to confirm it. Somehow, he already knew it was true.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is way too short but oh well, there you go. I just couldn't think of anything else to add and I liked the ending. AHH BABIES.
> 
> Eren's lingerie: http://www.i.evergl.com/img_t/FN0212_T2.jpg


	19. The Lost Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I just wanted to let you all know that I really appreciate all of your comments and messages and stuff! Please feel free to message me on Tumblr any time, my username is Ambrxiary. You can also reach me through email, eternalys@gmail.com. I really love talking to you guys and I'm up for roleplay, talking about story ideas, or even just giving advice. I just really like being close to you guys, and I LOVE LOVE LOVE all your ideas for the babies. I think I'm going to start being more active on Tumblr, would you guys like that? AND I'm also thinking about starting another fic. Though I wouldn't start uploading it for quite a while since I'm so busy with this one, but what do you guys think? Any fan fic ideas? Maybe I'll come up with a couple and have you guys vote on which one you want me to write. 
> 
> SPOILER, SORT OF:
> 
> Unfortunately, I have to put a warning for this chapter, there will be blood. Ugh I can't believe I'm even writing this, I am not mentally prepared. Every time I start writing this I get distracted and start playing the LOK ps4 game because I'm avoiding my responsibilities. But yeah, don't read this if you don't like blood, I'm sorry :(

"Eren?" Levi asked quietly for about the third time. It had been a straight two minutes since Levi had told Eren that he was most likely pregnant, and Eren still hadn't uttered a word. This was making Levi worried now. "Talk to me," Levi begged the frozen kitten. 

But Eren honestly didn't know what to say. How was one supposed to react to this news? Especially since Eren was so young. He'd known he would probably get pregnant, but for some reason, the whole time his mind kept blocking it out and saying,  _that can't happen to you. It won't happen to you, it's fine._ After all, Eren was still just a kitten himself. Or so he still thought. He saw Armin as a kitten, too, even though Armin seemed completely ready to have children with Erwin, and was even  **hoping** to be pregnant. But Eren didn't know how he felt about that yet, even though he told Levi he would be ready. 

"I don't know what to say," Eren admitted quietly, voice hoarse. 

"Are you...upset?" Levi asked with concern. He didn't want Eren to be upset over this, and more importantly, he didn't want Eren to be upset with  **him**. He didn't know what he would do if Eren got mad at him over this, or if Eren felt used or taken advantage of. Levi didn't want Eren to think he did this on purpose, but at the same time, he didn't want Eren to think that he didn't want this. He was scared, of course, but when they'd discussed it, Levi meant what he said. He wanted to have a life with Eren, and he though that was what Eren wanted as well. Maybe he thought wrong. Maybe Eren was too young for this, or maybe Eren just didn't want this at all.

"I don't know," Eren replied quietly. "I don't...I don't think so?' he questioned, shrugging. He really, honestly, didn't know. "I don't really..feel anything," Eren admitted, looking down at his lap before he started to shake a bit. "I-I'm scared."

Levi's face fell, and he wrapped an arm around Eren's shoulders. "I am too," he whispered. "But I'm not taking back what I said, about wanting this with you. Don't think I regret this." 

Eren looked up at Levi a bit. "I-I don't regret this either, I-I just don't know if I'm ready," Eren whispered, shaking his head. "I'm still so young, Levy, I can't even take care of myself." 

"Then I'll take care of both of you," Levi blurted out before he could stop himself, but it was true. "I'm not expecting you to care for a baby-or babies, by yourself. I'll be here, Eren. I know this isn't how you planned things, but I didn't plan to find you and raise you, but I don't regret doing it. Dammit, it turned out to be the best decision I ever made," Levi admitted. But Eren was right. He was still so young. "I'll be there for you, but if you decide you're not ready, then.." Levi cleared his throat, looking away. "There are..other..options, alright?"

Eren wrapped his arms around himself, frowning deeply as he nodded. He didn't want to go any of the other routes, but it was something he would have to think about if he really wasn't ready for this. 

"Let's not focus on it right now," Levi whispered when he saw Eren's face. "We don't even know for sure if you are, I just..I wanted to give you some time to think."

"How soon will we find out?" Eren whispered. 

"About a week," Levi whispered. "I've been reading up on it in this..book, and your body will show some signs the doctor will know to look for," he assured Eren. Nekos had a lot more symptoms of pregnancy by the first week than humans did by the second month since their bodies were so different. A few of the signs were...red, hard nipples, pink cheeks, stronger reflexes, hard abdomen...But the most important one was the neko's instinct. Almost half the time, they sense they were pregnant within the first three weeks after mating. But Eren's mind was a bit frazzled right now, and he'd never been pregnant before, so he didn't know what it felt like. It was better to get a doctor's opinion.

"Alright," Eren agreed, nodding. "I'll...Think about things, I suppose.." He bit his lip, avoiding eye contact with Levi. "I'm not really very hungry anymore."

"Ere-" Levi was going to protest, as he knew it was important for Eren to eat so he could gain his strength back, but he knew now wasn't the time. Eren needed time to process things, and that meant Levi had to leave him be. "I'll put these in the kitchen for later," Levi said instead, picking up the plate of biscuits and the tea, taking them into the kitchen before slowly returning. "Do you want me to..go out and run errands?" The captain asked, which made Eren look up immediately.

"Y-you're leaving me so soon?" Eren asked worriedly. 

"I don't want to," Levi admitted. "I thought maybe you'd..."

"No," Eren said quickly. "No. I don't want you to," Eren whimpered. "Don't go." Levi's brows furrowed in confusion and worry, but he shook his head. 

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured the kitten, rushing a bit to get to the bed so he could sit down beside Eren, bringing the pillows forward a bit so Eren could lay back down. "You want me to stay in bed with you?" he asked, and Eren nodded slowly. Levi didn't need any more confirmation than that to slide into bed, pulling Eren against himself gently as he laid down. He tucked his face into Eren's hair, not saying anything at all. He didn't have to say anything to let Eren know that he was there for him. He knew Eren knew it because the kitten curled into Levi as well. 

Levi didn't like that he could feel a wetness on his shirt, right where Eren's face was pressed into his chest, just about level with Eren's eyes. He didn't like that at all. He wasn't completely sure, but, he could take a pretty good guess that Eren was crying, even if it was silent. He wanted to ask Eren if he was okay, bombard the boy with questions and reassurances. God, that was so unlike Levi, but he couldn't help it. He was more worried than he'd ever been, but he knew he had to leave Eren be. At least he could hold him.

He gently rubbed Eren's back, his hand barely smaller than the width of the boy's shoulders. Could Eren really carry a baby even if he wanted to? Levi had never seen a pregnant neko before, but obviously they had to exist. It wasn't like baby nekos just fell from the sky....or did they? No, Levi was 99% sure that they didn't fall from the sky. But he did read that it was common for nekos to have multiples, sometimes even a whole litter. How would someone as small as Eren or Armin carry babies like that? Though, the babies were probably quite small as well...Eren was so small when Levi had first found him, and the boy was already a few months old by then. Levi couldn't even imagine how small a newborn neko would be. 

He couldn't help thinking about this. He knew he told Eren to hold off on making any decisions, but Levi had already decided that he wanted this. He  **wanted** Eren to have his babies, no matter how selfish it was. He wanted little kittens that looked just like Eren, that he could help Eren raise just as he raised Eren. He wanted a family to come home to every day, he wanted more little Erens to love. 

Though he wanted this, he wouldn't force Eren to have his babies. If Eren didn't want this, if he never wanted this, Levi would accept that. If Eren wanted an abortion, Levi would support him through it, no matter how painful it was for him to accept. He wanted Eren, more than anything. 

Eren was, in fact, crying. Though he wanted to keep it secret from Levi. He stayed as silent and still as possible, but he couldn't help the tears that automatically came out. He still didn't know how to feel, even though he'd told Levi again and again that he was okay with getting pregnant. Maybe he was okay with getting pregnant, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to be a mother. 

He wasn't even responsible enough to care for himself, so how should he care for a baby? He never even really got to know his own mother. He had no clue how to be one.

He was terrified, but...He..he wanted this. He really did want this. 

He just didn't know if he could handle it. 

Levi seemed to be holding Eren even closer, hand not rubbing the kitten's back firmly on the base of the kitten's neck to massage out any knots, which seemed to help calm the boy. And he couldn't help it when he closed his eyes. He was so exhausted, he hadn't slept for more than an hour or two at a time all week.

He also couldn't help it when he drifted off into sleep. A rather deep one, on top of it all. 

And when he opened his eyes again, it was pitch black aside from the slight moonlight coming in from the window. He was awoken by the sound of someone sobbing. 

He really didn't have to guess who it was. 

"Bear...?" Levi murmured groggily, blinking open his eyes and giving them a quick rub to try and sort out his blurry vision as he looked down at Eren, who was curled up in a ball, facing away from Levi as he sobbed. "Bear, what's wrong?" Levi asked quietly, scooting up beside Eren to press himself against the kitten's back, rubbing up and down Eren's shoulder. 

"N-didn-wan-be bad-mother-" Eren choked out between sobs. 

"What?" Levi murmured in confusion, still too tired to process it all. "I can't..understand you.." the captain murmured.

"I-don't wan-t to be- a bad mother," Eren sobbed again, and Levi's brows furrowed in confusion.

"Eren...You wouldn't be," Levi murmured to the boy, reaching up to run a hand through Eren's hair and scratch behind his neko ears. "What would make you think that?"

"Because-I don't know how to be one," the kitten sobbed, and Levi sighed. 

"I don't know how to be a father, either, but here I am. My mother didn't know how to be a mother and I bet your mother didn't, but here we are, and we turned out alright, huh?" Levi murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to the shell of the boy's ear. "Didn't we?"

"My mother didn't raise me, you did," Eren sniffled, letting out another hoarse sob. "And you never even talk about your mother."

"She died when I was young," Levi murmured. "That doesn't mean they weren't good mothers, Eren. From what I remember of mine, she was....She did everything she could to take care of me, Eren. She was the best mother I could ask for," he whispered against the kitten's ear. "Do you remember anything of your mother?" He asked softly, and Eren shrugged. 

"N-no-not really," he sniffed. "I know she-had brown hair, 'n she looked kinda like me. I don't know anything else," he whispered. He really couldn't remember almost anything about her. 

Levi didn't stop rubbing Eren's shoulder. "Well she had to have been a good mother to make someone as good as you," he whispered. "And even though I made a lot of mistakes bringing you up after I rescued you, at least that shows I've got some experience. I won't make those mistakes with our children, Eren."

Eren sniffled again, wiping at his nose. "But what about me? I'll make mistakes."

"Maybe," Levi mumbled. "But they'll get over it. They'll be strong, like you."

"Like you," Eren corrected, rolling his eyes as he rolled over to press himself against Levi.

"Both of us, then.." Levi murmured, burying his face in Eren's hair. "You won't be a bad, mother, Eren."

"But how do you know? You can't know for sure.." Eren whispered hoarsely. 

"I do know for sure. You'd try your best, wouldn't you?" Levi asked. 

"Of course," Eren whispered. "I would try as hard as I could."

"I know. You don't half ass anything, Bear," Levi mumbled, pride in his voice. "And you'd love them."

"Of course," Eren replied again. "More than anything."

"More than me?" Levi questioned, mock jealousy in his voice. 

"Maybe. Maybe it would be a tie," Eren replied quietly, a little smile on his face as he closed his eyes again. 

"Then you'd be a great mother, Eren.." Levi assured the kitten. "I know you would be."

"I hope so," Eren whispered. "I..I want this, Levi," he admitted. "I do want it." 

"I do too," Levi whispered, relief in his voice as he held Eren tighter against himself. God, that was such a relief. They wouldn't have to worry about giving up babies or abortion or the emotional stress on Eren, they wouldn't have to worry about that. And Levi wanted this probably more than Eren, though he wouldn't admit that to the boy. 

"I hope I am pregnant," Eren said. That was something he never thought he'd say. 

"I do too. I'll be there every step of the way," Levi mumbled, nuzzling his face in the kitten's neck to press soft kisses to his warm skin. "You know that, right?"

"I know.." Eren replied, barely audible. Levi was the only man who could give him butterflies in his stomach, so many butterflies that he could almost puke. You know, in a romantic way. "You'll be a good daddy."

"Mh. As long as our children aren't as naughty and rambunctious as you," Levi held back a chuckle as he spoke. 

"I wasn't that bad," Eren laughed a bit. 

"Mhm. You only ran away like, what, four times?" Levi asked. 

"Three," Eren corrected. "And that was only because I was curious."

"Well than I hope our children aren't as  **curious** as their mother," Levi spoke, though that was a lie. He would honestly give his soul if it meant their babies could be just like Eren. Well-maybe just a little less  **curious** , or else they'd die young. Eren let out a little giggle, snuggling closer to Levi's chest. "Go back to sleep, Mama Bear," he whispered, beginning to rub Eren's back. 

"Alright, Papa Bear," Eren whispered in reply, exhaustion lacing each and every word. "Night, Levy."

"Night," Levi whispered gently. 

He waited about ten minutes or so, just looking down at Eren and rubbing his back, and by the time the ten minutes were up, he was sure Eren was asleep. But that didn't stop him from watching the kitten for another hour. You know, just to make sure. It wasn't like Levi was being overprotective or anything, right? Even if he was, he wouldn't care. He couldn't stop watching Eren and admiring him, gently stroking Eren's back and running a hand through his hair occasionally as the boy slept. He couldn't help it; he was happy, genuinely happy. He was happy that Eren was happy, and happy that what he wanted might actually be happening. He really, truly  _hoped_ that Eren was pregnant, even if it wasn't the best time. After all, Levi would still have to go away because of the war at times, but...He'd be there for his family, no matter how tough things got. 

* * *

The next week was the most Levi had probably ever taken care of Eren, and that was saying something, considering Levi had had him since he was a baby. He'd had to help Eren do almost everything. He had to carry him around the room and to the bathroom,  **every** time the boy had to use it. He had to give Eren baths, which the first one Eren cried because he was so sore. And he even had to help Eren eat the first two and a half days because his arms were sore.

He didn't mind, though. He honestly only felt guilty. Had he really fucked Eren that hard? Or maybe Eren just wasn't used to it yet? At least Levi knew now his dick had the power to cripple a young neko for almost a week. But now that Eren wasn't as sore, today was the day Levi had sent out someone to fetch a doctor. Of course, the two still hadn't left their room. God, Levi would have so much work to make up when he got back. He didn't even want to think about it. At least Erwin had listed Levi's absence from the field as 'injury related' so nobody would ask any questions. 

There was a knock at the door, and both Levi and Eren turned their heads toward the sound before looking back at each other, Eren looking at Levi a bit nervously. 

"It's alright," Levi murmured, standing up from the bed to answer the door. When he opened it, he wasn't met with Dr. Rusele like usual, but a different doctor Levi didn't know very well. 

"Captain Levi," he greeted. "I'm Dr. Keer, Dr. Rusele couldn't make it. I hope I can be of service," he said. He was a brunette, only a bit taller than Levi and a thin beard along his chin and upper lip decorating his face. 

"Hm.." Levi looked at him. "I suppose." He stepped back a bit to let the doctor in the room. "Do you know anything about nekos?"

"A bit. Dr. Rusele left some notes for me, and they're becoming more and more common around these parts," Dr. Keer explained. "What can I help you with?"

"That's my neko, Eren," Levi mumbled, tossing his head toward the boy in the bed. "He's just had his heat, I was hoping you could check if..."

"Ah, I see," Dr. Keer cut him off. "I understand, Dr. Rusele made a note that it was possible Eren was pregnant. "I'll have a look at him, if you'll please step out of the room," Dr. Keer requested, setting his medical bag on a nearby chair. 

"You're kicking me out of my own room?" Levi questioned in disbelief, raising his thin brows. 

"It's a very...invasive examination. Nothing serious, but it's better for me to work without interruption," Dr. Keer explained. 

"Tch-he's my neko, I've invaded him more than anyone," Levi growled. 

"Levi!" Eren snapped in horror. "Just get out for a minute, will you?!" He practically shrieked. God, why did Levi have to be so embarrassing. 

"Yell if you need me," Levi murmured. "Don't touch him unless he says it's okay," he warned Dr. Keer as well. Maybe he was being  **a bit** over protective. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him so he could stand in the hallway in silence. And he even glared at everyone that walked by. 

The doctor had to have been in there with Eren for  _at least_ half an hour. Dr. Rusele never took this long, what was with this new guy? What if he hurt Eren, what if he had no clue what he was doing? Levi was done waiting after the first ten minutes, and he'd gone 20 minutes past his limit. He couldn't wait any more. He turned around and quickly opened the door, stepping inside as both the doctor and Eren looked up at Levi in surprise, just as Dr. Keer was laying the blanket back on top of Eren. 

"What's going on?" Levi demanded. Dr. Keer looked over at Eren, and the kitten looked bashful as he looked away and gave a smile. 

"You were right," Eren said quietly, looking back up at Levi. "You were right, Levi. I am."

"P-pregnant?" Levi stammered, and Eren nodded, having to cover his face with his hands, he was turning so red. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Dr. Keer replied, standing up and taking off his gloves. "He's showing all the signs. And he's perfectly healthy, too, besides a few sore muscles here and there. Everything's all set for a healthy pregnancy." 

Levi had to sit down before he fainted, plopping into the nearest chair as he ran a hand through his hair in shock. "I can't believe it," he whispered. "Eren." he looked up at the boy. "Are you sure you're not faking it?"

"Faking it??" Eren looked up, giving a laugh. "Levi, I swear I'm not," he laughed. "How could I?"

"I-I don't know, you're a trouble maker," Levi replied half heartedly. It wasn't a complete lie, after all. He stood up again, rushing over to the bed to pull Eren up into his arms as quickly, but as gently as possible, giving the kitten a tight squeeze. 

Eren didn't hesitate to hug the captain back, burying his face in the man's neck. He'd never been more scared, but more happy in his entire life.

"So Eren's perfectly healthy?" Levi asked, looking back up at the doctor, who nodded. 

"He's just fine. Just make sure he's getting lots of rest and eating well, and not doing too much physically. Everything looks fantastic," Dr. Keer assured Levi, which helped calm his rapid heart rate just a bit, and he went back to cuddling Eren. 

"Thank you," Levi murmured. He wasn't quite sure if he meant to the doctor, or to Eren, but either way, Dr. Keer took that as his cue to leave. Levi and Eren were alone now, and Levi had moved them to the bed so he could cuddle the kitten a bit more comfortably. He couldn't stop pressing kisses all over him and telling him he loved him, because that was what he felt like he needed to do, and Eren only returned the affection with just as much passion. He pulled Eren away from him a bit so he could press a kiss to his lips, maybe a bit rougher than he intended, but Eren didn't seem to mind. 

Eren returned the kiss, little hands coming up to cup Levi's cheeks as Levi's own hands gripped at Eren's back almost desperately. He would be more protective of Eren now than he'd ever been before, but Eren didn't mind that at all. At least, not at the moment.

Levi broke the kiss to press kisses to Eren's cheeks and forehead, the kitten closing his eyes as he accepted the love his mate gave him, the love the  _father of his child_ gave him. 

"Eren," Levi whispered, and Eren's eyes fluttered open almost immediately. "I can't believe this."

"Me either," Eren whispered, pressing his nose up against Levi's once the man stopped kissing him. "I'm pregnant."

"I know," Levi whispered. "You make me feel better than I've ever felt, Eren."

"Even better than killing titans?" Eren whispered. 

"Of course. A million times better than that, Bear," Levi whispered. He adjusted Eren in his arms so that he could bring down a hand to rest on Eren's flat stomach. Even though it didn't seem like Eren was pregnant, Levi knew he was. It felt warmer than usual, and nicer. Though, that must've been Levi's imagination. 

"Are you sure the doctor knows what he's talking about? Is the baby okay?" Eren asked breathlessly. 

"Of course. You're perfectly normal, an excellent, worried mother already," Levi joked quietly, smiling as he pressed a kiss to Eren's little neko ear, which twitched instinctually in response.

"I guess so," Eren laughed softly, placing his hands on top of Levi's as he closed his eyes in content, a smile on his lips. He honestly couldn't be happier right now, unless he had his baby or babies in his arms already. That was the only feeling that could top this. "Do you think i'll get fat?' Eren asked.

"Of course," Levi replied. "Very."

"Levy!" Eren jokingly scolded the man, giggling a bit. "You know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean, that's why I said yes. You'll weigh more than a titan," Levi murmured playfully.

"Didn't Hanji mention that titans weigh almost nothing at all?" Eren questioned.

"You just like to prove me wrong, don't you?" Levi asked, pressing another kiss to Eren's ear, which made the boy giggle again. If they weren't trapped behind these walls with a war raging on, this would honestly be the best life Levi could ever ask for. But even in this situation, he was actually happy right now. He didn't have to think about all the bad stuff right now, he only had to think about Eren.

He didn't even let go of Eren or take his hand away from his abdomen as the two laid down to sleep, and Eren didn't move away either. Levi made him feel safe, he made him feel happy. There was no reason for him to want Levi to let him go. 

He was sure he'd fallen asleep before Levi, but he couldn't have slept that long. A few hours, maybe, but he knew it wasn't morning yet. No wonder he couldn't sleep, he felt like shit. He felt worse than that. 

He was crumpled up in a ball, and he could feel the pillow underneath his head was wet with sweat. He was shaking, too. Did he have some kind of nightmare? He tried to sit up, but he couldn't. He was in so much pain, more than he'd ever felt before, and he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out. His face scrunched up and he gripped at his shirt, taking a gasping breath. He felt like he couldn't breathe. 

He pulled away the covers from his hot body, letting out a small cry in pain that didn't even seem to make Levi stir, but the screaming that came out of Eren's mouth next was sure to wake him. 

Levi's eyes snapped open and he sat up within seconds, quickly feeling around the bed to make sure Eren was next to him. "Eren-" the man stammered in tired confusion. "Eren, what's wrong? Eren?"

"Levi-" Eren sobbed hysterically. "Levi, help me." Levi'd thought that Eren was just scared about being a mother again, but this cry was much different, it was a cry of pain. This immediately caused alarm to run through Levi. He fumbled with the lantern on the nightstand, turning it on and cranking up the light so he could look over at the kitten next to him, eyes filled with worry. 

"Eren-" Levi looked down at the bed beneath Eren, and it was completely soaked with red. 

"I'm bleeding-" Eren sobbed, arms wrapped around himself as he let out more cries, like a wounded animal. He was shaking and he was a ghostly white color, a color Levi hadn't seen on Eren since that day at the lake when he drowned in the icy water. 

"Eren-" Levi didn't know what to do. Eren was bleeding, he was  _bleeding_ , and Levi couldn't see a wound on him, meaning he didn't know how to make it stop. 

"It hurts, it hurts," Eren sobbed desperately. 

"Where?" Levi asked quickly, trying to make the kitten uncurl from the ball he was in so he could take a look at him, but Eren just let out a screaming sob, shaking harder. It took Levi's mind a few seconds to fully process what was going on.

_No._

"Eren, hang on," Levi said frantically, voice shaking as he pulled himself out of bed, running over to Eren's side. "Just hang on."

"Levy, I don't know what's happening," Eren sobbed. "E-it hurts-"

"I know, just hang on," Levi repeated. That was all he could say. He grabbed one of the blankets off the bed, which was also stained with blood, and he began wrapping it around Eren sloppily before hoisting the kitten up into his arms bridal style. "It's going to be okay." He could only say things he'd learned to say when something bad was happening, even if it wasn't going to be okay. And Levi could tell this wasn't going to be okay. This wasn't okay. 

Eren curled against Levi's chest, body locking up again as he let out more desperate sobs. He was hurting so bad, he just wanted it to go away. He didn't know how much longer he could take it. 

Levi didn't hesitate to rush out of the room with Eren, not walking, but jogging down the pitch black halls. He didn't know what else to do, they may not have much time.

"It's fine," Levi whispered again, more to himself than to Eren as he let out heavy breaths as he jogged down the stairs and to the first floor, where the infirmary was. "Just hang on for me, Eren. Almost there."

"I can't," Eren sobbed, letting out another hoarse scream, trying to curl tighter against Levi. "It hurts so bad, something's wrong with me," he choked out in between sobs. 

Levi didn't reply, only focusing on rounding the corner into the infirmary. It was fairly dark, only a few lanterns lit, but he knew there were doctors here at night for emergencies. But he couldn't see them anywhere. He quickly rushed over to the nearest wall, making a fist and banging against the wood as hard as he could. "Hey! We've got an emergency in  here!" Levi tried to growl threateningly, but it just came out as desperate, his voice cracked and strained. But it was less than a few seconds that several doctors appeared, including Dr. Rusele. 

"What's going on?" Dr. Rusele asked quickly, rushing over. 

"He-" Levi didn't even know what to say, voice breaking off as he looked down at Eren bundled in the bloody blanket in his arms, the kitten still crying desperately in pain, pain that Levi couldn't do one thing about. 

"Set him here," another doctor commanded quickly, gesturing to the nearest empty bed, to which Levi rushed over to. He knelt down, trying to pry Eren away from his chest to set him down on the cot. 

"Levi-" Eren begged, sobbing again. "Don't-don't leave-"

"I'm not, I'm not," Levi whispered desperately, a hand still holding up the kitten's head. 

"What's wrong with him?" Dr. Rusele repeated. 

"He-'s bleeding," Levi replied, voice suddenly hoarse. He felt like his throat was closing up. 

"Where?" The doctor asked, and Levi hesitated to answer. "Where, Captain? This is an immediate danger, what's happened?" Dr. Rusele questioned frantically as he tried to unwrap the blankets from around Eren. 

"He's..He's pregnant," Levi replied quietly. He couldn't say where. He couldn't say Eren was having a miscarriage. He doubted Eren even knew what that was, and he didn't want him to know. "Don't say anything," he whispered. 

Dr. Rusele looked at Levi, realization in his eyes as he nodded gravely. 

"Please take care of him," Levi whispered, voice more desperate than ever, "Please." 

"We will," Dr. Rusele said quietly."We'll do everything we can. But you'll have to-"

"Don't say it, I know," Levi whispered. Doctors liked their privacy. It didn't matter to them that Eren was terrified and bleeding out. He was still crying softly, on top of it. He was probably so weak by now. Levi leaned forward, pressing his forehead to Eren's. "I'll be right here, Eren," he whispered. "Be good, be good for me, alright?" he whispered, which made Eren cry harder, but he was too upset and scared to even protest, which made Levi's heart clench with guilt as he forced himself to pull away, leaving Eren alone on that cold white cot, which was now stained with red. Levi didn't want to look any more, but he had to. He had to look into Eren's teary eyes as the boy sobbed and he had to hear his pleas, but he also had to turn around. He had to turn around and walk away.

That was probably the hardest thing he'd ever done in his life. He just had to walk away from Eren when the boy was bleeding and broken, and he had to completely entrust someone else with Eren's care. Maybe he was selfish, maybe he walked away because he didn't want to hear Eren's painful crying anymore or see how bad he looked. He didn't want to admit this was happening. 

He didn't want to admit that they'd found out about their baby and lost it all in the same day.

And he didn't want to admit that Eren could be bleeding to death beyond the wall Levi was staring at.

And he didn't want to admit that there was absolutely nothing he could do to save Eren,  _or_ their baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate myself I hate myself I hate myself I hate myself 
> 
> I am so sorry why have I done this 
> 
> I HATE MYSELF 
> 
> pls don't hate me omg I'm sorry
> 
> THERE WILL BE BABIES SOON, I promise


	20. The Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is up later than normal, I know I usual upload in the morning, but I guess Monday is Monday, no matter what time. I kinda had to rush to get this chapter done over the weekend because I had mega writers block for this chapter all week, I'm not great with the chapters following the angst.
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy!! <3 Give me feedback or any ideas you might have. Also, if I wrote another fic, would you guys still want it to be like alpha/beta/omega dynamics and mpreg, or would you be okay with a different kind of AU? I know mpeg and a/b/o fics are kinda hard to find.

Levi sat in the waiting room, which really wasn't a waiting room at all, but just a few empty chairs outside the infirmary. He wasn't sure how long he waited, exactly, but he knew he'd been here much too long. And nobody would tell him anything. He had no clue where Eren was in the infirmary and he couldn't hear the kitten at all. He didn't know if Eren was okay.

Every time a doctor or a nurse would walk by, Levi would ask if they had heard anything about Eren, but they just seemed clueless or they didn't know enough to tell Levi how Eren was yet. Levi had eventually just stopped asking, and started to assume the worst. He was exhausted and had been waiting for hours with no one telling him anything, how could he not assume Eren and their baby were both dead? Levi didn't know how he'd cope with this, if he could even manage to cope with it at all. He'd already almost lost Eren once and he was a complete mess, but now things were different. Eren wasn't just some kid Levi was taking care of anymore, he was his lover. And it wasn't just Eren anymore, either, but their baby as well. 

This was worse than Levi ever imagined. He assumed if he ever had children, he would make a few mistakes here and there and hard times would happen, but he never thought he would lose his partner and his child in the same day. He knew his mind was just making this worse than it actually was, but hell, how could he not assume the worst right now? Nobody was telling him a damn thing, and he wanted to know where Eren was  **right now.** He stood up, knocking the chair over as he did so, and he sure as hell didn't care to pick it up. 

He wasn't just irascible, he was  **fuming**. They had no right to keep his Eren from him, and he'd show him that. He stormed through the infirmary, checking every room and every curtain until he opened up one curtain, bumping directly into Dr. Rusele as he did. Though the doctor was taller, he was nearly knocked back by Levi's force.

"Captain-" the doctor stammered, looking down at him. "You can't be back here yet-"

"I don't give a rat's ass," Levi growled, shoving Dr. Rusele aside to get view of the bed behind him, where a tiny, pale figure lay. He froze, staring at the unconscious boy. "Eren." He moved forward quickly without hesitation, leaning over the bed to lay a hand on Eren's forehead, looking him over. He didn't look well at all, and he was obviously exhausted. Hopefully exhaustion was the only reason he was unconscious, because Levi didn't really want to think of anything else. "What's wrong with him? Is he going to be alright?" Levi asked quickly. 

"He-he'll be fine, he should recover in the next few days.." Dr. Rusele replied. 

"What's wrong with him? Why is he so pale?" Levi asked. "Is he still bleeding? Is..Is the baby alright?"

"Sir..." Dr. Rusele whispered. "Captain, I'm very sorry." 

"No.." Levi mumbled, shaking his head as he ran his hand through Eren's messy brown hair. He didn't want to hear this.

"Eren has...suffered a miscarriage.." Dr. Rusele explained quietly. "It isn't uncommon this early in the pregnancy.." 

"Just because it's not uncommon doesn't make it okay," Levi growled, whipping around to face Dr. Rusele. "What the fuck do you mean he's suffered a miscarriage? He hasn't done anything wrong, he's been in bed for the past two weeks!" Levi barked. 

"It doesn't necessarily mean that either one of you did anything wrong, Captain, I-" 

"Then what the fuck happened?" Levi asked. "Huh? You're a doctor, tell me," he demanded, and he couldn't help it when he stepped forward, giving Dr. Rusele a shove. 

"Captain, p-please," The doctor stammered, fear in his eyes. "Sometimes things happen without explanation.."

"Without explanation? That doesn't make any damn sense!" Levi snapped, eyes glassy. He couldn't take this, this wasn't  _fair._ They'd just found out Eren was pregnant that morning, how could he lose the baby the same night? Why was he in such bad condition? Why did this have to happen to them? Eren hadn't done anything wrong, and Levi had been working so hard to take care of him, and this...how could Levi let this happen? "We just found out he was pregnant this morning, he was barely pregnant!"

"Sir, you k-know that nekos' pregnancies progress a lot faster than-"

"I know that!" Levi snapped. Actually, he didn't. He didn't know anything about this, he didn't know what he was doing and he didn't know what he would do when Eren woke up. How would he tell him that he'd had a miscarriage right when he'd convinced the boy earlier that everything would be fine? Even Dr. Keer said that-.... "Where the hell is Dr. Keer?" Levi growled.

"Dr. Keer? I-In his room, sleeping, I presume.." Dr. Rusele stammered. "Sir, if this is about the miscarriage, there's no way that he could've-"

"This is his fault, it's his damn fault!" Levi yelled. "He was in there way too long with Eren and he had no clue what the hell he was doing! Or maybe he did know, and he did this on purpose!" Levi shouted. "What's his room number?"

"Captain levi, I can't give you that-" Levi cut Dr. Rusele off by grabbing him by the collar, slamming him up against the wall. 

"Tell me his room number, right now," Levi demanded. His eyes were stormy gray, much darker than before, and he honestly looked like he was on the verge of tears. He felt like it, too. But he wouldn't let them spill. 

By now, several other doctors and nurses had been attracted to the loud scene, but they just watched silently, all of them just too scared to say anything. 

"Right now!" Levi screamed, shaking the man back and forth, making him cry out in panic.

"Room 138, 2nd floor! Room 138!" Dr. Rusele yelled desperately, so Levi dropped him to the floor, staring down at him. 

"I'll be back. If anything happens to Eren while I'm gone, don't think I'll believe its just an accident," he growled, looking from Dr. Rusele to the other doctors and nurses that had gathered around. "And that goes for each and every one of you." When Levi walked toward them, they all scattered in each and every direction, though he wasn't after them. He was after someone much more important. He stormed out, glancing back at Eren before focusing straight ahead again, robotically marching down the hall and up the stairs. He arrived at room 130, then 131, 132, 133... He counted, feet thudding on the cold ground. He didn't even care that he was still in his pajamas, he still looked menacing all the same. 136, 137...138. He didn't hesitate to bang on the door with his fist a few times, and when there was no answer, he banged harder and continuously. "Open up!" He ordered, voice booming through probably the whole second floor, but he didn't give a fuck. If he was awake because his baby was dead, then everyone else deserved to be awake and suffer with him.

He didn't stop his banging until the door swung open. 

"Captain...Levi..?" Dr. Keer asked, rubbing his eyes. "What's going-" Levi grabbed the doctor by his cotton white shirt, slamming him up against the wooden door of room 138. 

"What the fuck did you do to him?" Levi growled threateningly. He felt so  **angry** at this man, he felt angry at the world. This wasn't fair. Someone had to pay for this.

"Do to..Who..?" Dr. Keer asked, starting to struggle. 

"You know who!" Levi shouted. "You killed it, didn't you? Answer me!"

"Killed...Sir, Eren's baby? I-...I didn't...it's dead?" He asked, pure confusion on his face. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"You know damn well you did," Levi growled, tossing Dr. Keer to the floor of the hallway as several other soldiers exited their rooms to see what all the commotion was about. "Don't play dumb with me. Do I look stupid? Do I look like I don't know that you fucked Eren up somehow to kill our baby? Were you trying to kill him, too, I bet?" He barked, bringing his foot back to land a kick in Dr. Keer's side, making the young man cry out in pain. Several soldiers gasped, but all were too afraid to step in. Captain Levi was not one to be messed with, and they all knew it. 

"Captain!" Dr. Keer cried out pleadingly. "I didn't do it, get away from me!" He begged, trying to scramble to his feet, but Levi instantly knocked him back down again, not hesitating to smash a fist into the left side of Dr. Keer's head, then the right side, then his back, and his chest, and...He couldn't stop himself. He was so angry, and so hurt. His Eren was so hurt physically, he couldn't even imagine how he would be emotionally. This man deserved what he was getting. 

His fist came down and smashed into the man's face, and he felt bone beneath his knuckles before he saw the crimson spurt of blood shot from the doctor's nose, and Levi couldn't help feeling satisfied. This was sick, and he knew it, but it wasn't like he wasn't already covered in Eren's blood. This man's blood on Levi's hands wouldn't make a difference except for the fact that he couldn't cause any more damage with his 'medicine.' 

He brought his fist down again, but this time, it was stopped by a much larger hand, followed by a muscled arm wrapping around Levi's throat from behind, cutting off all oxygen. The raven's focus shifted from beating the shit out of Dr. Keer to trying to get away from the monster holding him back, but it was less than a mere second before the strong arms picked him up by his shirt, tossing him to the floor easily, like Levi was only a rag doll. 

He grunted when he hit the floor, bracing himself as best as he could. He tried to recover from his shock, but as soon as he had, he was already being picked up by his shirt again and then being shaken roughly. 

"What in the  **hell** do you think you're doing?" Erwin's booming voice came, and he sounded more than just angry. He was angrier than Levi had seen him in a long, long time. Dark blue eyes locked onto silvery gray, the two men staring at each other menacingly as Erwin still held Levi up by his shirt. 

"Put me down," Levi growled, but Erwin didn't obey. 

"You are  **not** one to give me orders, Ackerman, do you understand that?" Erwin snapped. "You're coming with me." Erwin dragged the shorter man away from the scene while the onlookers finally snapped out of their shock and began to help Dr. Keer. 

"Erwin, you don't understand-" Levi tried to explain, voice strained as Erwin practically choked him with the force he was using to drag the raven down the hall by his shirt. 

"I understand perfectly well. Get in here," Erwin demanded, opening the door to his room and tossing Levi inside. Again, Levi landed on the floor. Though he didn't bother to get to his feet. 

Both men were panting and huffing, sweat on both their brows as they stared each other down. "You know, when I had some soldier in his underwear knocking on my door at midnight yelling about Captain Levi beating up a doctor, I thought he was fucking crazy. I thought to myself, _Hm, in all of Levi's forty years of life, he knows better than that by now. He would never do such a thing_ ," Erwin growled. "Obviously, I was wrong."

"I'm only 36.." Levi grumbled under his breath, looking up at Erwin with narrow eyes before he wiped the sweat off his upper lip with a bloody fist. "Look, Erwin, you don't even understand! He killed my baby!"

"You don't even have a baby!" Erwin argued, looking over at the small figure standing several feet away. "Go back to bed, Armin. I'll be finished soon, don't you worry." 

"Where's Eren?" Armin asked quietly, his blue eyes wider than ever. 

"The infirmary," Levi growled. "That man, that man who calls himself a doctor, he killed mine and Eren's baby," Levi huffed, eyes going from silver to a dark gray, his mood changing the entire atmosphere of the once calm and happy room that Armin and Erwin had been sleeping in. 

"Eren's pregnant?" Erwin asked in confusion, eyes still narrow as he watched Levi. 

"He  **was** pregnant. Until that bastard of a doctor-"

"Levi," Erwin interrupted him. "That man did nothing to you and Erens' unborn baby."

"Yes he did, Erwin! He's the only one who's touched Eren ever since we found out, we only found out earlier today!" Levi screamed, voice cracking. 

"You don't  **know** that, Levi, you can't just go around beating up whoever the hell you want just because you think he could have played a part in Eren's miscarriage!" Erwin argued, looking back over at Armin. "Armin, bed." The kitten nodded obediently, quickly ushering himself into the connecting room and crawling into bed, burying himself under the covers rather quickly. Erwin didn't speak again until Armin was settled. "What the hell could that man possibly gain from killing your unborn child, huh?" Erwin asked, squatting down so he was eye level with Levi. "Huh?" he asked again. "What could he gain?"

"I don't-" Levi shook his head, trying to avoid Erwin's piercing eyes. "Look, Erwin, you don't know that guy, you don't know him at all. I didn't like him from the moment I set eyes on him. He seemed to have no clue what he was talking about, I doubt he was even a real doctor. He was alone with Eren for 30 damn minutes," Levi grumbled, fists clenched tightly. "He did something to him, he killed the baby."

"You didn't answer my question. What possible fucking motive would Dr. Keer have for killing your unborn child, do you think the whole world revolves around you?" Erwin snapped. "I know damn well that guy is a doctor, I'm the one who hired him for God's sake." Erwin stood up again, swinging a hand to knock over one of the wooden dining chairs that was seated around the table, and it clattered to the floor with a loud bang, almost like thunder. The blonde was fuming, his hair a frazzled mess, stuck to his sweaty forehead. "That man didn't kill your baby, and I know so."

Levi looked at Erwin, then at the blanket covered mound in the bed. "Armin's pregnant, isn't he?" Levi asked quietly. 

"What do you think?" Erwin asked, and Levi just gave a slight nod. "Yeah, he is. And you know who examined him? Dr. Keer. And you know how long Armin's been pregnant without our baby being murdered? Almost 3 weeks. He's been pregnant for three weeks and he still is pregnant, Levi. Dr. Keer didn't do a damn thing to hurt Armin, he didn't kill your baby."

"Then who did?" Levi asked, voice cracking. "Who did, Erwin? Somebody has to pay around here and it sure as hell doesn't deserve to be me or Eren, do you understand that?"

"Nobody killed your baby, Levi!" Erwin practically shouted at the man. "Nobody deserves to pay for it because it's nobody's fault! Do you understand  **that?** " Erwin growled. "These things just happen, Levi, whether you like it or not. I know this sucks, it really does, and I'm sorry that Eren lost the baby but it wasn't anyone's damn fault. When someone gets sick, when someone gets a disease, is that anyone's damn fault? No, you know that. This is the same damn thing, Levi, it just happened to you and Eren by chance."

"You don't..know that.." Levi murmured, but his voice was dying as he finally looked back up at Erwin, his gray eyes pooling up with tears. "This isn't fair, Erwin." 

"I know it isn't, but you had no right to make that doctor look like a fool and accuse him of killing your child. I doubt anyone will trust that man as a doctor again unless you straighten things out soon.." said Erwin, eying Levi seriously. "I understand this is hard for you, Levi, but I expected better." Erwin turned around, walking away and disappearing into the washroom for a moment before returning with a damp rag, tossing it at Levi, who barely managed to catch it in time. "Clean yourself up, then you're going downstairs to be with Eren."

Levi's face fell when he realized that he'd just left Eren in the infirmary. What if something happened to the kitten while he was gone, what if Eren had woken up terrified and all alone in the dark? Levi would never forgive himself. He took the washcloth, holding it up to his face to begin  wiping away any blood, then doing the same with his hands before he felt at least half satisfied, then tossed the cloth back at Erwin. 

"Erwin, I..."

"Just go," Erwin interrupted. "I'll lock up your room for you and bring you down a change of clothes in the morning, just go." Levi looked at Erwin as he shakily stood up, giving a nod. He was gratefull that Erwin didn't make him actually say thank you. He hurried out of the room, not bothering to close the door behind him as he made his way back to the infirmary. 

He was surprised that the doctors and nurses had let him back in there, but he was also relieved when he saw that Eren was still out cold once he arrived. He pulled up a chair to the edge of Eren's bed, plopping down in it before taking one of the kitten's limp hands in his own much larger ones. He clasped it between both hands, bringing it up to his mouth to press it against his lips, but still, Eren didn't move a muscle. 

Levi closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath as he tried to avoid looking at Eren. He couldn't look at the boy, he just felt so damn guilty. "Eren," he whispered, warm breath hitting the kitten's cold hand. "Eren, I'm so sorry." He truly was sorry, even if the miscarriage was, in fact, nobody's fault. But that didn't mean Levi couldn't still wish he could take all of this pain away from Eren. Physical and emotional, both. He didn't know if Eren would still be in physical pain tomorrow, if he'd still be bleeding, or even if he'd actually wake up tomorrow. Would he ask a doctor to tell Eren that their baby had died, or would he tell Eren himself? No..He had to tell Eren himself, asking a doctor to carry Levi's burden wouldn't be fair at all. Besides, maybe Eren would handle it better if he heard it from Levi. 

No, that was a fucking lie. Levi had no clue what the hell he would even say to Eren and he knew Eren would be devastated. He didn't want to see this boy suffer anymore, it wasn't fair. He gave Eren's hand a squeeze, opening his eyes to let the first tear of the night slip down his cheek. He'd been holding this in for so long, taking it out as anger on others. 

Levi hadn't cried in years. After Farlan and Isabel died, he'd gone completely numb to the world. By accident or on purpose, he didn't know. Maybe a little bit of both. He knew now why he hadn't fought against his emotions going numb, though. This hurt, it really did. It was one of the worst hurts he'd felt in a long time, right in his chest, and he wasn't sure if the crying was making it better or worse. A few tears turned into a lot of tears, and a lot of tears turned into angry sobs as he clutched Eren's hand, sobbing apologies to himself, to Eren, to the world. He didn't want to feel like this anymore, it just felt so awful.

Maybe he'd just have to accept this now. He'd have to accept that he was weak, that he'd finally given in to his emotions, and he had to accept that the dream he and Eren thought was going to come true, the dream they'd found out about just that morning, that dream was lost. He had to admit to himself that their baby was gone, Eren had suffered a miscarriage, and now he had to find some way of making Eren accept it, too. Though if Levi could barely even accept it, how could he expect Eren to? The baby was inside Eren, after all. 

Levi didn't know. He just didn't know. He was crying harder now, pressing Eren's limp hand up against his tear stained cheek. "Eren, please forgive me," Levi whispered, voice cracking in pain. "Please forgive yourself." He didn't want Eren to blame himself, though Levi knew he would. He always did. 

Maybe Levi should have been the one blaming himself, after all, he was the one who was supposed to be protecting Eren, wasn't he? No, he couldn't turn this into some pity party for him to mope and groan and blame himself. Like Erwin said, things just happen. And if Eren didn't believe it, Levi would do whatever he could to convince him. 

He laid his head down on the edge of Eren's bed, hands still gripping the kitten's. The raven sniffled, letting out quiet sobs that he tried to contain. He was exhausted, he really was, and he wasn't even sure what time it was now. All he knew was that it was late, very late. 

He closed his eyes, sobbing for the next hour or two until it was too much. He was too tired, too exhausted. He just couldn't continue anymore. And it was probably the early hours of the morning when Levi had finally managed to cry himself to sleep, head still resting on the edge of Eren's bed.

Two, maybe three hours after that was when Eren began to stir. His head, it was spinning. He felt like he couldn't even open his eyes, like his eyelids were made of lead. Or more accurately, his whole body felt like it was made of lead. At first he thought maybe it was still his body recovering from heat, or maybe he'd just had one hell of a sleep. But it was very quickly that Eren began to realize something was wrong. The room smelled different, the bed felt different, his body felt different and strangely wrong. It was so hard, but, he finally managed to open up one eye, then the other. 

He had to blink a few times to get his eyes to actually stay open and focus, but when he did, he was not where he expected... that is, until he remembered what happened the previous night. He remembered the pain, the blood, but he couldn't remember how he'd gotten here, or where exactly he was. 

He looked around, to the walls beside him and the ceiling above his head. When he looked to his left, a head of messy black hair stuck out to him like a sore thumb. He could see the side of Levi's face, the other side pressed into the bed, his arms on either side of his head. He looked utterly exhausted. 

Though, so did Eren. And he felt exhausted as well. He didn't want to wake Levi, but he had to. He was scared and confused, he needed to know what had happened. His hand slowly drifted across the bed, and only then did he realize his other hand was being clasped by Levi's, even in the man's sleep. He raised his hand a bit, gently bringing it across one of Levi's arms and letting it slide down until it hit the bed again. He felt so weak, and he didn't know why.

Almost immediately, Levi's eyes twitched before snapping open. "Eren." His voice was hoarse, his eyes red and swollen. "You're awake.."

Eren nodded slowly, opening his mouth to try and speak, but nothing came out, causing the kitten to frown and furrow his brows before he cleared his throat. "Whe.." His voice was still hoarse, barely audible. "Where..what..happened?" He managed out, looking at Levi with desperate eyes.

"Eren, I.." Levi wasn't sure what to say, his heart beginning to ache again. Even in his dreams, he hadn't been able to escape this. He saw Eren screaming and crying over and over again, he saw Erwin yelling at him, he saw everything over and over from that night. His sleep may have just made him even more exhausted than he had been in the first place. "You're..in the infirmary.." Levi finally said. 

"W-why...?" Eren whispered, voice wavering. "Cuz' I...was bleeding..?" He asked quietly, and Levi nodded. 

"Yeah, that's why.." Levi whispered. "How are you...feeling..?" He asked, hand coming up to caress Eren's soft chestnut strands. 

"I hurt," Eren admitted pitifully, brows furrowing. "Why do I hurt, Levy?" 

"Eren..." Levi's voice cracked and he took both of Eren's hands in his own, holding them tight. "Eren..Sometimes...bad things happen, and.." Levi couldn't do this. He wasn't good at this, how was he supposed to tell Eren what had happened?

"Levy?" Eren asked quietly, confusion across his much too innocent face. "What-what's going on?" His eyes were already welling up with tears, like he knew something was horribly wrong. "Levy, why do I hurt?" he whispered shakily. 

"Eren...you...had a miscarr-miscarriage.." Levi choked out, holding back his emotions. He looked at Eren for his response, his shaky hands still squeezing Eren's.

"A w-what?" Eren asked, shaking his head. "I don't-what does that mean? Is our baby okay?" He asked, his tone so innocent it made Levi feel like he was breaking inside. 

"The baby's gone," Levi whispered, closing his eyes. "It's gone, Eren. That's why you were bleeding, that's why you were in so much pain." His voice was shaky, but he tried to keep it strong. He had to be strong for Eren.

"I-I don't understand-" Eren whispered, voice cracking as the tears began to spill over. "What do you mean, gone? Levy?" Eren started to sob. 

"It...Didn't make it, Eren. It's dead," he whispered, bluntly, though it pained him. "I'm so sorry, baby, I'm so sorry.." He didn't know what else he could say to try and make this better as Eren started sobbing. There was nothing he could do to fix this. 

Eren was so confused, he felt like everything had just collapsed. He felt like his physical pain was shadowed by the emotional pain that hit him like a bullet going straight through his chest. Or maybe more accurately, like a runaway carriage hitting his entire body at full speed. He didn't understand what happened, what he'd done wrong. "W-why?" Eren wailed, shaking his head. "What happened? W-why is it dead? Levy, it can't be," the kitten sobbed desperately. 

"I-Eren, I'm sorry.." The raven whispered. "I don't know why it happened, it's...I know, I know this hurts, just..Please don't think this is your fault.." Levi whispered, moving up to sit on the bed to wrap his arms around Eren. Eren didn't hesitate to bury his face in Levi's chest, his hands curling into Levi's blood stained shirt as he let out his cries of hurt and confusion. 

"How-how could it not be my fault? My baby's dead," Eren sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut tight as Levi held the kitten desperately close. 

"Shh..Shh, we'll be okay," Levi whispered. "We'll be okay, Eren, you understand me? It'll all be alright.." Levi tried to convince the kitten, though he didn't sound very sure of himself. "It's not your fault, it's...It's nobody's fault. Sometimes...Things just get rough..."

"This isn't fair," Eren choked out through his sobs, his tears seeping into Levi's shirt, voice muffled by Levi's chest. "It's not fair, it's not fair."

"I know, I know it's not...But I've got you," Levi whispered. "I've got you, I promise..I promise.." Levi assured Eren. He wished the boy's crying would stop, he wished that he could just make the pain go away. He didn't want to see his Eren like this anymore. But Eren was right, this wasn't fair. Nothing was ever fair. 

All Levi could do was hold Eren and tell him it was going to be alright and assure him that this wasn't his fault, though he wasn't even sure if the kitten was listening. Even if he wasn't, at least Levi was comforted a bit by his own words. About an hour after Eren had woken up, Erwin arrived in the infirmary with a spare pair of clothes for Levi and a couple other things Levi and Eren might need. He'd brought Armin down with him as well, holding onto the little blonde kitten's hand gently as they walked in. Levi turned his head, looking at the pair before motioning to be quiet. He was sure Eren didn't want to see anyone right now or be disturbed too much, as he was still against Levi's chest, crying softly. Erwin just set the bag down on the nightstand, giving Levi a quick pat on the shoulder before turning around to head out the door, but Armin was reluctant to leave. 

He stumbled a bit when Erwin tried to pull him along, looking up at Eren and Levi on the bed. 

"Eren?" The kitten spoke up in worry. 

"Armin," Erwin hissed quietly. Eren sniffled, head immediately snapping up from Levi's chest. He hadn't even noticed the two in the room until Armin spoke up. 

"Eren, I-" Armin tried to say, but Eren cut him off. 

"Get out!" He screamed at Armin, clenching his fists as he broke off in a sob. "Get out! Get out, don't look at me!" He screamed, and Armin's eyes widened in hurt and shock.

"Armin- come on," Erwin hurried the boy out of the room, pulling the curtain back again to give Eren and Levi some privacy. 

"Get out!" Eren screamed again, though the two were already gone. "Get-out.." He sobbed again, pressing his face back into Levi's chest as the man began to grip Eren painfully tight. 

"Eren, Eren...shh.." Levi hushed the boy, brows furrowing in worry as he guided Eren's face into his neck. The kitten was still sobbing the words 'get out,' his fists pounding on Levi's chest half heartedly before they fell to his sides. Eren just let Levi hold him close, limp in his partner's strong embrace as he let out his broken sobs.

Levi was so worried. This wasn't like Eren at all, and he didn't know how to deal with this. He could see how much pain Eren was in and that was just causing Levi more pain as well, he loved Eren so much. It was just hard to see him like this.

"Shh.." Levi hushed him again, a hand coming up to caress the back of Eren's head and massage it gently in an effort to calm the crying kitten, and it seemed to work at least slightly.

This...Wasn't going to be easy, was it? Nothing was ever fair, nothing was ever easy.

But Levi was willing to work through it for his Eren.

No matter how hard it would get.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well...those of you who had been guessing that it was Dr. Keer, you had the same idea as Levi! Great minds think alike <3 Also, yes, if you hadn't noticed in this chapter, I wrote that nekos are only pregnant for 6 months. That's why pregnancy symptoms show up so early because their pregnancy progresses quite a bit faster than a human's. Any questions regarding the anatomy of nekos in this fic, feel free to ask! I try to reply to every comment <3


	21. The Acceptance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really sorry this chapter is a week late and updated so late, and I'm really sorry it's so short and crappy. I'm sorry, i feel so bad. Ive just been so busy and so discouraged with writing, i really wish i could've done better

Levi didn't know how to make things better, he really didn't. It'd been two days since...it happened. Today, Eren would get to leave the infirmary and Levi could take him back up to their room, but Levi didn't know if Eren was ready. 

Levi had obviously gone back to their room and cleaned everything up, though it was hard for him. He didn't care about the germs for once, that wasn't his main concern. He was just haunted by the memories of what had happened in that room and that bed, and it made him feel helpless all over again. Even though the room was clean and the bloody sheets thrown away, replaced with new ones, Levi knew that Eren would feel the same way. He didn't want Eren to think negatively of their own home, the place where they were supposed to be safe and comfortable. 

Levi had tried his best to put everything back where it originally was, to make the room look and feel as normal as possible. He'd even opened up the windows and rubbed himself all over every blanket on their bed to make it smell like him. Well, to Eren, at least. To Levi, it just smelled the same. Though he knew scent was important to nekos, especially Eren.

When the raven man returned to the infirmary that evening, the nurses had already gotten Eren ready to go. He was dressed, but not like he usually was. He'd dressed in a plain white nightgown, not like his usual frilly dresses or fuzzy sweaters. His hair, like his outfit, was also much different. It wasn't brushed and the chocolate strands stuck out in odd places, his ears flat against his head like they had been for the past two days. Eren, much like his cat cousin, lowered his ears and head when he was unhappy, uncomfortable, or just plain depressed. Depressed didn't even seem like a word Levi would ever use when describing his Eren. 

The boy's eyes were hollow and seemingly unseeing as Levi reentered the room. He didn't light up at the sight of Levi or let his ears twitch with happiness like he used to. He just stared down at the floor as though it was the most interesting thing in the room right now. And even if that was the case, Eren didn't look too interested. 

"The room's all ready, Bear," Levi tried to speak up as normally as possible after a few seconds of awkward silence. "Are you ready to go?" He asked, unsure of whether or not the omega neko felt up to it quite yet. Eren stayed silent for a long moment, hesitating before he gave a simple nod of his head, chestnut hair falling down over his eyes. Levi walked up to the boy slowly, as though afraid he would startle him. He knelt down in front of Eren, placing a hand under Eren's chin to tip his chin up to force the neko's emerald eyes to meet his own, which were filled with worry. "Would you like me to carry you?" He asked his little mate, thumb running across the smooth skin of his chin and jaw. Eren didn't say anything, clearing his throat a bit brokenly before he nodded again. 

Levi's hand fell from Eren's chin, arms immediately opening up just in time for Eren to slide of the bed and land in Levi's arms, the neko's own arms wrapped tightly around Levi's neck, his face buried in Levi's shoulder. Levi's arms wrapped around the little kitten firmly as he stood up with him, Eren's legs instinctually wrapping around Levi to help keep him up, though that wasn't necessary. Levi would never drop the kitten, not in a million years. He could never drop something so important to him. He rubbed Eren's back, dipping his face down into the kitten's neck as he enjoyed their closeness. Like this, it felt like everything would be okay. Though, Levi knew they were far from okay. 

He picked up Eren's bag, slinging it over his free shoulder before he looked around the plain room once more to see if they'd forgotten anything, but it was completely free of any of their belongings. "Alright, Bear," Levi murmured softly, normally smooth voice a bit raspy as he spoke. "It's time to go home." He turned on his heel, heading toward the curtain with slow strides, pulling it back to leave the room behind. Hopefully, they'd never be in there again. At least, not for the same reason as they were this time.

The walk back to their room was silent, the only thing audible being their breathing since they were so close to each other. Levi felt strange, like Eren was little again. He felt like he was taking the scared, hurt little neko he'd found in the wreckage of a home, back to his room once more. He felt helpless and confused, no clue what to do, just like he had when he brought Eren home. But this time was so much different. Eren wasn't a baby anymore, he was fully aware of what was going on. Back then, he hadn't known his mother was dead and he hadn't been aware of how bad things were, but right now, Eren had to deal with the bad things full force. Levi wanted to protect Eren from this pain, but he couldn't. He couldn't do anything except comfort him, but would that even be enough?

Once at the door to their room, he hesitated. His hand ghosted over the doorknob for a few seconds until he finally plucked up the courage to turn it, pushing the wooden door open with a slight creak. Only when he entered this time did he realize the lingering smell of bleach, the product he'd used to scrub the mattress and the floors, and he'd attempted to soak the sheets in. He didn't smell it after he'd finished cleaning since he'd gotten so used to it, but now it was prominent and filled his nose with a burning sensation, and Eren immediately tensed up against him, trying to curl deeper into his chest. Levi knew right then and there that he'd fucked up, he'd made everything worse than it already was. He'd even thought to rub himself on the new sheets so Eren could smell his scent, but he hadn't thought to open up the door and windows to let the scent of bleach escape the room at least for a day or two? He felt stupid, so fucking stupid. It was the worst thing he could've done, the worst possible scent besides blood itself to leave in the room. It was toxic and prominent, obviously something neither he or Eren could ignore, and it simply reminded them both of the fact their belongings were once covered in blood. Levi didn't know what to do. He couldn't take Eren out, it was too late now. He couldn't take Eren back to the infirmary because that would probably just make the kitten even more uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do, so...he just pretended the scent didn't exist. He just pretended that he hadn't made this mistake. 

"It must feel good to be back in our room," Levi spoke, though he knew that was a lie. Eren didn't reply, little hands still curled into the back of Levi's shirt tightly. Levi didn't know what to do besides make casual conversation, hoping it would ease Eren into feeling a bit more comfortable. He took slow steps over to the bed after closing the door behind him, sitting on the bed once he'd made it there. Eren still clung to him silently, and Levi had no intentions of letting the boy go.

They sat silently for five minutes, which soon turned to ten, then twenty. Levi just didn't know what to say. 

He wanted to make Eren feel better, but he didn't know how. The only thing he could think of was to be able to snap his fingers and bring their baby back. Yeah, that would cheer everyone up. Unfortunately, Levi wasn't a magician. 

"Eren..." The man finally spoke up, voice hoarse as he held back emotion. "Do you want to talk about-"

"No." Eren cut the man off, not allowing him to finish and not offering any proper explanation. "No."

"Eren, we have to talk about this," Levi protested. "You can't just hold this all in and-"

"Yes I can!" Eren snapped, pulling away from Levi to glare at him, hands still fisted into Levi's shirt. "Yes I can, you can't tell me what I can and can't do." The little omega neko had his brows furrowed in anger, eyes dark as he shook. This wasn't like him at all.

"Eren, I wasn't trying to tell you what to do," Levi growled, voice as gentle as possible. "I was just trying to help."

"I don't need your help," Eren argued, set on being as stubborn as possible. At least, it seemed that way to Levi. 

"Yes you do," Levi defended firmly, almost like a parent speaking to a child. "You're not ready to deal with this by yourself. You  ** _need_** me," Levi protested, nearly desperate with his own words. 

Eren's mouth opened and closed in shock before he was frowning deeply, letting go of Levi and crawling off his lap. He seemed to be trying to move quickly, but his movements were still sluggish and weak. "That's what you think," Eren snapped. "You think I need you, but I don't. I don't need you, you're not my parent."

"Eren- I know I'm not your parent. Don't do this, not right now.." Levi replied, running a hand through his messy charcoal fringe. "Don't do this. I can't handle this right now."

"You can't handle this?" Eren questioned in disbelief. "You can't handle this when you're the one who wasn't even pregnant in the first place? You're not the one who was stuck in the hospital for two days, don't tell me about not being able to handle things." His voice broke and he slid down from the bed, turning away and crossing his arms over his chest. Levi rubbed his brow, closing his eyes for a second. 

"Eren...You know that's not what I meant," said Levi, shaking his head. "That's not what I meant. I know this has been hard on you, I wasn't trying to-"

"Whatever," Eren snapped. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to take a bath. By myself," Eren emphasized the last part, storming off into the bathroom and not quite slamming the door, but shutting it harshly enough to make Levi flinch. He knew the kitten was irrational and upset, probably devastated and hormonally imbalanced. There were so many things going on with him, it was impossible for Levi to try and figure out what to address first. He had no clue how to do this and he had no clue who to ask. He could ask Hanji, maybe, but nobody knew Eren better than Levi did. All he knew right now was that he needed to be there for Eren, and he would probably have to keep Armin away from Eren. He didn't like how the boy reacted to Armin last time, but it was expected for Eren to be resentful since Armin was still pregnant and he no longer was.

Eren had turned on the water for the tub rather aggressively, unable to help himself. He felt so angry and upset, and Levi wasn't helping any. He didn't understand, he wasn't the one carrying the babies. Nobody could understand how Eren felt, and Eren just had to accept that. He shed his nightgown and stepped into the tub once it was half full, the warm water soothing his sore muscles and dirty feeling skin. After all, he hadn't had a proper bath for two days time. 

He sunk into the tub, holding himself up on his elbows on either side of himself. He grumbled things under his breath, using his anger to hide his sadness. It was the only thing he knew how to do, and that may have been partly Levi's fault. Neither of them were very good with their emotions. Though, maybe that was something they would have to change soon. 

Eren turned off the water once the tub was full, sinking down into the water so that it was just below his nose as he began angrily scrubbing himself with the soap. This wasn't  **fair**. Why did he have to lose his baby, and Armin didn't? What had Eren done wrong that Armin didn't do? It didn't make any sense. Was Eren really so bad of a person that he deserved this? He wasn't saying that Armin deserved this - neither of them did. 

But Eren was beginning to have second thoughts about that. Maybe he'd done something wrong, maybe all the trouble he caused Levi when he was little caused some sort of higher power to hate him and take away his baby. Yeah, that sounded completely fair. 

Eren stayed submerged in his bath until it got cold, but there was a knock at the door. Eren didn't reply. 

"Eren, I'm coming in," Levi said, cracking the door open to peer inside at the kitten in the tub. "I have some bad news."

"Like things aren't already bad enough," Eren mumbled under his breath, though he was sure Levi heard it. The man came over and sat down on the edge of the tub, reaching forward to smooth back Eren's wet hair. 

"I have to go," Levi whispered, mercury eyes filled with both sadness and hidden anger. 

"Go?" Eren looked up at the man. "What? You're  **leaving me**?" He asked in disbelief. 

"I don't have a choice," Levi whispered. "Mike just came and got me. Eren, things are bad. Half of the cities within rose are up in flames."

"I don't understand," Eren whimpered, hurt in his voice. "You're leaving me?"

"I don't want to, don't you see that?" Levi snapped, running a hand through his hair exasperatedly. "I tried to tell him that I can't leave you, but they  **need** me. Erwin wouldn't have sent for me if it wasn't necessary, Eren. I have to stop the before the danger gets to you and everyone around us, understand?"

"No, I don't understand!" Eren yelled, sitting up and causing some of the water to slosh out onto Levi's pants, but the older man didn't say anything about it. "All I understand is that you're leaving me here! You're leaving me here when we just got home!" He yelled, tears pooling up in his once bright green eyes.

"Eren," Levi said, hoping to calm the boy. "E-Eren, you can't be angry with me for this. I'll be back as soon as I can, Hanji will stay with you, I promise," Levi assured the kitten, who now had tears streaming down his rosy cheeks. Levi felt awful, he really did. Every fiber of his being told him not to leave Eren, to stay as close to the boy as possible, but hundreds of people were dying out there due to Sina's cruelty. This was Levi's job, he had to help them, even if that meant leaving Eren for a little while.

"You're telling me I'm not allowed to be angry? I'm not allowed to be angry that you're abandoning me?" Eren asked, voice cracking, and Levi reached out for the boy, but Eren moved away. "Don't touch me!" The neko snapped, turning his back to Levi and crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Fine, if you can't be an adult about this," Levi growled, standing up. "Hanji is waiting outside. Maybe I'll come back later tonight, maybe not." He turned on his heel, storming out of the bathroom and storming past a confused Hanji, whipping open the door and stepping out before he slammed the door closed behind himself. 

Eren sat in the tub with his knees up to his chest, arms wrapped around them as the tears came. Silently, of course. He couldn't let Hanji know he was upset because if he did, she'd never leave him alone. 

Luckily, she didn't come in and bother him. She must've thought better of it. Eren took his time letting out his tears in the tub, pulling the plug to let the lukewarm water swirl down the drain. He sat there silently until there was no water left, which left the kitten shivering and cold. He felt like he deserved it. He wasn't sure how long exactly he sat in the cold, empty tub, but he'd eventually forced himself to crawl out and dry off with a fluffy towel. It smelled like Levi. It bothered him. 

He didn’t want to smell Levi, he didn’t want anything to do with that man right now. He was hurt and furious and a reminder of the man that abandoned him in his time of need was just something Eren couldn’t handle. He tossed the towel aside angrily, slipping into his little pink bathrobe despite the fact he was still soaking wet.

He exited the bathroom, pools of water forming below his feet with each step he took. Hanji looked up from where she sat on the bed, offering Eren a little smile.

“Hey there,” she said quietly, as though she was talking to a child. “How you feeling?”

Eren didn’t bother to reply, brows furrowed as he trudged over to the small couch and climbed up, curling up in a ball with his back facing Hanji. Hanji stood from the bed. Hanji looked at the back of the little omega’s head pitifully, taking a second to clean off her glasses before she approached Eren slowly. “Eren?” She asked quietly, but received no response. She sighed. 

She sat down on the edge of the couch, placing a hand on Eren's back, which caused him to flinch. 

"Go away..." He finally mumbled hoarsely. 

"Eren..." Hanji said, beginning to rub gentle circles across the kitten's robe covered back. "Levi will be back as soon as he can."

"I don't care about Levi," Eren snapped at the four eyed woman, curling tighter against himself. 

"Eren.." Hanji said quietly, almost as though she was in shock. "Don't say that. You don't mean that."

"I do mean it," Eren growled through gritted teeth, eyes watery with emotion. "I do mean it, Hanji. I hate him."

"You don't hate Levi.." Hanji protested gently. "You're just hurt right now, Eren. And I understand what you're-"

"You don't understand!" Eren screamed, sitting up and whipping around to face Hanji. "Have you ever had a damn miscarriage?"

"N-No...But you have to understand, both Levi and I have lost a lot of people close to u-"

"It's not the same and don't you dare say it is! It's not!" Eren screamed at her, bottom lip trembling as he held back sobs. 

"Y-you're right.." Hanji said softly. "You're right, it's not the same thing, I'm sorry.." She said gently, trying to lock eye contact with Eren. "I shouldn't have said that. I don't know what you're going through, and there's no way Levi or I can ever know. But you have to know that we're here for you, even Levi."

"Levi  **isn't** here for me, look around!" Eren snapped, gesturing to the empty room that still smelled of bleach. "He's not here because he doesn't care. He doesn't care, Hanji. If he cared, he wouldn't have left me here. Why don't you understand that?"

"Eren, that is not true," Hanji said firmly. "Levi had to go on a mission and he tried as best as he could to get out of it, but they wouldn't let him. He had to go, Eren." 

"If it's so important, then why aren't you there?" Eren snapped. 

"Because...I was ordered to stay here with you. That's an important job, too, you know. Levi directly asked me to-"

"I can take care of myself," Eren cut Hanji off. "I don't need no damn babysitter." 

"Don't talk like that," Hanji begged. "Eren, this isn't you."

"You don't even know me. Just leave me alone," Eren growled. "I hate you, I hate Levi, I hate Armin, I hate Mikasa! I hate all of you!" He yelled. Hanji stilled, pulling her hand away, staring at the kitten with a shocked look on hr face, mouth hanging open slightly. She was going to say something, but she figured it would be best if she didn't fuel this further. Eren wasn't ready to talk yet. She stood up quietly, taking slow steps over to the bed where she sat down, picking up a book she'd brought with her and beginning to read, though she was still distracted by the shaking kitten curled up on the couch. Maybe he'd come around when Levi came home.

But for Levi, things weren't so simple. He couldn't think about the fight he and Eren had had earlier, he didn't have time to think about anything. Everything was utter chaos, worse than it had ever been before. There were shots being fired left and right, flaming bottles being thrown at both soldiers and fleeing civilians, dead bodies littered the streets. This had to have been the highest casualty count yet. 

Levi was out of gas and right now, he could only rely on his swords and his gun, which he was way too out of practice with now to use. Besides, it was no good in close combat. It was no good right now. 

There were filthy military police scum coming at him from every angle, desperate to take down the beloved Humanity's Strongest. Where the hell was Erwin when you needed him to distract these pigs? Levi almost pitied these kids, no matter how shitty they were. They were so young and naive, forced to fight for a cause they probably didn't even care about. The Scouts were different, they were used to dealing with much worse. 

Though Levi couldn't help thinking about Eren. He felt like he should be with the kitten, talking him through this and catering to his every need. Eren was having a hard time with this. They both were. They were supposed to be together at a time like this, supporting each other. But instead, now Eren hated Levi and Levi had no clue when he could go back to his Eren. 

"Levi!" The raven heard the commander shout over the firing of guns and the crackling of flames. "Levi!" 

Levi had turned on his heel in a split second to face the commander, but he knew he'd made a mistake. He was on the ground before he'd even registered the gunshot sounding through the air, his body colliding with the pavement heavily as he vaguely heard Erwin's voice. This couldn't be happening, not  **now**. He couldn't be dying, not when he promised Eren he would be back. 

He couldn't leave Eren like this.

But... he may not have a choice.

It was hours Eren waited with Hanji, the exhausted, over emotional kitten unable to help himself when he fell asleep. Hanji, of course, didn't fall asleep. She split her time between reading and watching the sleeping kitten. She'd promised Levi she would watch Eren, so that was what she was going to do. Even if that meant not sleeping for a while. 

There was a knock at the door and she was quick to stride over and open it, a soft smile on her face that quickly fell when she realized it wasn't Levi, but a random soldier. 

The knocking awoke Eren and he jolted awake, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes as he watched the two standing in the doorway. "Hanji?" he croaked softly. "Who's that?"

"I've been sent here from the infirmary," the young soldier assured Hanji, immediately giving her salute of respect. "Captain Hanji, I've been sent to tell you that Captain Levi has been injured in battle, and it's serious," she spoke grimly to Hanji. 

Eren immediately straightened, eyes widening before he was scrambling down from the couch, nearly tripping over a stray blanket. 

"What? What do you mean, injured?" Eren asked frantically. "How bad? How bad is it?"

"I can't say, little guy. I've only been sent here to announce he was injured, I don't know anything of his state," the female soldier said, leaning down a bit to look at Eren. 

"I am not a little guy!" Eren growled. "Hanji, Hanji where is Levi, is he okay?" Eren begged for her answer, looking to her desperately. 

"I.." Hanji looked at Eren. "I don't know, Eren, we'll go down and check right now, grab your things," Hanji said quickly and as Eren rushed off, she turned to the soldier again. "Where is Commander Erwin?"

"I have no idea, Major. I haven't been on the battlefield for a good few hours. I haven't heard any news about him," the girl replied, and Hanji nodded exasperatedly, giving a half assed salute, which obviously signaled the soldier to go away. Eren had frantically grabbed a bag and packed a change of clothes for him and a change of clothes for Levi, his Bear, and a familiar smelling blanket. He dragged it across the floor, frantically heading for the door before Hanji was picking up the bag for him. 

"I've got it, you go," Hanji said, giving Eren a nod. The kitten gave her a nod of genuine and desperate thanks before he was running down the hallways, weaving in and out between the legs of soldiers, hands gripping frantically at his loosely tied robe to keep it closed as he ran down to the infirmary. He knew the way by heart..They'd been there way too many times already. 

He burst through the doors, looking left and right, though he was immediately recognized by a doctor. Everyone knew Eren was Levi's kitten by now, even those who'd never met Eren or Levi.

"Where is he?" Eren begged, voice cracking, and the unknown doctor quickly motioned toward the nearest curtain on the left. Most doctors would give a hard time about a neko entering the infirmary without being in dire need of medical attention, but not Eren. He would've found Levi whether they liked it or not, and everyone seemed to know that by now. Eren ran through the curtain, cold, bare feet slapping against the floors as he ran in. The first thing he was met with was a pair of silver blue eyes. They were tired, but they were there. 

"Levi-" Eren choked out.

"I knew you'd freak out-" Levi sighed from the bed he was lying in. "I told them to tell you it wasn't serious." His voice was hoarse and obviously exhausted, like he'd been asleep for a while. 

"She said- she said it was serious, and she wouldn't tell me if you were okay," Eren admitted with a sob, voice cracking. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Bear. Come here," Levi said softly, motioning for Eren to come over with the arm that wasn't bandaged, and Eren didn't hesitate, making his way to Levi's bedside. Levi easily lifted Eren up with his good arm, grunting a bit in pain. His chest and his left arm were all wrapped up tight, the bandages not stopping until Levi's wrist. "I'm just fine."

"N-no you're not, what happened to you?" Eren asked worriedly, afraid to touch Levi in any way, terrified he would hurt him. 

"I got grazed in the side from long distance, I took a pretty hard fall. I'm alright, I only needed three stitches," Levi assured the worried kitten, a slight smirk on his lips at Eren's worried demeanor. 

"You got  _ **shot** **?**_ " Eren gasped at the man, shaking in the grasp of Levi's good arm. 

" _Grazed_ ," Levi corrected, reaching up to ruffle Eren's hair gently. "The only reason I'm wrapped up so good is because I got a few scratches from falling down. Where are your clothes, brat?"

"My clothes aren't important," Eren said desperately. "You got shot- you could've died and I said such awful things earlier-"

"That doesn't matter," Levi cut the kitten off firmly. "That doesn't matter what you said, Eren. You were upset, and I'll admit I wasn't being any help," the raven assured, staring at Eren until the kitten gave a forced nod. "I won't hold anything you said against you, you had a right to be angry."

Eren wiped at his eyes, sniffling to avoid his snot dripping everywhere. "I didn't mean the way I acted," Eren whispered, though Levi had just confirmed he already knew that. "I didn't mean it."

"I know, Bear," Levi whispered. "I know. It's all over now. Don't worry about it, don't worry about a thing." He pulled Eren down gently to rest the kitten against his uninjured side, Eren's head on his bandaged chest. "We'll be alright now." Levi honestly felt like shit, but there could be worse feelings. Like, being dead. Or...losing your baby. It was still hard for him to think about what Eren went through. The baby was Levi's, too, but he didn't have to go through the physical pain and suffering, and of course the guilt of being responsible since Eren was the mother. Levi knew he couldn't act like he understood Eren, but he knew now he just had to be there for him and let him take his time. 

Eren would speak to him when he was ready. And, if that took forever...Then so be it. Levi would wait forever. 

Though, by the way Eren snuggled desperately against his chest and wiped tears from his cheeks, Levi was sure it wouldn't take very long.

And Eren couldn't help being sure of that too. Never again would he hide his feelings from Levi.

And never again would Eren risk losing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's nightgown - http://www.cosypajamas.com/uploadfile/products/20150314/Vintage-White-Cotton-Nightgown.jpg
> 
> Eren's bathrobe - https://cdnd.lystit.com/photos/8013-2015/11/22/cozy-zoe-pink-bunny-animal-ear-hooded-robe-pink-product-0-917218036-normal.jpeg


	22. The Best Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like my chapters have been sucking lately and I've been updating so late in the day, ugh. I promise I'll do better soon...After all, it is summer now. Yay! 
> 
> P.S. I GOT A CAR AGGHHHHHH I LOVE IT. A picture will be attached at the very bottom of the chapter!

Levi's recovery went a lot quicker than expected. He was told he would need to stay in the infirmary for two, maybe three days, but of course the man had left after only just one. A couple of scratches couldn't keep humanity's strongest bedridden for long, now could they? 

Eren had stayed by Levi's side, tending to him and fussing over him unnecessarily through the whole ordeal. It helped him keep his mind off the miscarriage, Levi supposed. So, that's why he didn't argue. If Levi's injury helped Eren direct his motherly instincts, then so be it. In a way...It was sort of a blessing that Levi had gotten shot. Hell, if it kept Eren from being depressed, Levi would go out and get himself shot again. He actually thought about it, but decided it would be better not to. 

The only downside to all of this was the fact that Levi felt like an inadequate mate for Eren. Wasn't he supposed to be caring for the weak kitten after he'd just had a miscarriage? Wasn't he supposed to be comforting Eren and tending to his every need? He was supposed to be, but instead, it was the other way around. Levi knew this was helping Eren, but his instincts were to care for Eren in every way possible. He didn't even want Eren  **walking** , that's how worried he was. He knew it was ridiculous to think of Eren as so helpless, but he couldn't help it. 

And for some reason, the worst part of this was the fact that Levi couldn't lift anything heavy for the next week or two. Apparently, Eren was still considered 'heavy,' despite the fact he was as light as a feather to Levi. He wanted to hold the kitten and carry him around, like he usually did. It was just something he'd gotten used to and grown to enjoy over time. He knew it was weird and selfish, maybe a little creepy - though he didn't mean it in a creepy way. He just felt so close to Eren when he carried him, he felt like he was actually  **doing** something for Eren. He felt like he was doing something right. But right now, what did he have to offer? Nothing. 

"Levi? Would you like more tea?" Eren questioned as he peered up at Levi from below, the older lying in their bed as Eren busied himself with cooking and cleaning. Levi sighed, looking over at the two already unfinished cups of tea. 

"No thank you, Bear," he sighed. "Maybe I should finish the ones I've already started, yeah?" 

"Do you want something else?" Eren asked quickly. "I-I could make you..-"

Levi cut the kitten off. "No. No thank you," he said, looking down at Eren. 

"What about-"

"Eren," Levi sighed. "Eren, come up here a minute, will you?" Levi requested, holding out a hand to help Eren. Eren hesitantly accepted Levi's hand, scrambling up the bed as the raven helped pull him up. Levi pulled Eren against his uninjured side, resting his cheek against the crown of Eren's head. "What are you doing, Eren?" he sighed. 

"What?" Eren questioned, furrowing his brows in confusion as Levi asked the question, instinctually snuggling into the man's side as he did. "What do you mean?"

"All of this...this.." Levi sighed, unsure how to word it without hurting Eren's feelings. "All of this stuff. Why are you doing all of this stuff for me?"

"A-all of what stuff? You mean taking care of the basic stuff you need to live since you're gravely injured?" Eren asked, frowning. 

"I'm not gravely injured, Eren, you know that," said Levi. "I can get up and do things for myself just fine. Of course, I appreciate you helping me, but....Eren, do you see what you're doing? You've cleaned this place two times over and now you're working on it for a third time, I don't think you even realize it.." said Levi, shaking his head. "And do I really need  **three** cups of tea at a time? And six meals a day?" 

"I haven't-I haven't cleaned that much. And I've only cooked for you...-" Eren cut off, counting under his breath and holding up several fingers as he counted out the meals he'd prepared. "That's not that many, you're a strong man who needs to eat and recover.."

"Eren, I'll be better and back to work in a few days time, it's only a few scratches," Levi said. "You're acting like I'm dying."

"Well-h-well," Eren huffed. "I can't lose everyone close to me, is it too much to ask to let me take care of you and keep you alive?" Eren asked frustratedly, voice raising a bit as tears came to his eyes. Levi looked over at the boy, turning his head slowly until his lips were pressed against Eren's hair, and his arms tightened around him. He knew Eren taking care of him was some kind of psychological thing, but he wasn't aware that Eren was afraid of losing him, too.

"I'm not going anywhere, you know that," Levi whispered, lips ticklish against Eren's scalp. "You know that."

"No, I don't know that," Eren said shakily. "How am I supposed to know that? You nearly died out there.."

"I didn't," Levi whispered in assurance. "I didn't nearly die, Eren, I wasn't even close to it. You know why I got hurt? Hm?" He whispered gently, rubbing up and down the boy's arm. Eren slowly shook his head. "Because I was too busy worrying about you. I've been so worried about you, Eren." 

"I'm not the one who got shot.." Eren whispered. 

"Not physically. Well- yes, physically. But mostly emotionally. You haven't been yourself ever since...ever since it happened. You were barely talking to me, Eren. I didn't know what to do, and I still don't know what to do now," Levi admitted. "But you don't need to be worried about losing me, Eren. Nobody else is going anywhere."

"You could die at any moment, Levi," Eren whispered. "Armin hates me now. Mikasa probably does too if Armin told her what I said," he whispered, voice cracking. "I'm going to lose everyone."

"You're not going to lose anybody else, Eren. Armin knows you're in a tough place and that you didn't mean to snap at him," Levi assured the kitten, tucking a stray strand of hair behind his ear. "You're not going to lose me, I'm not dying any time soon. Eren, sometimes bad things happen, and it's not okay that they happen...But that doesn't mean everything else is going to fall apart, you hear me?" He asked quietly. "I won't let that happen. I won't let anything else happen to you."

"You can't control everything.." Eren said shakily, shaking his head back and forth. "You can't save me from everything."

"I can't, but I can damn well try," said Levi. "I'm doing as best as I can, Eren, how can I make you believe that everything is going to be alright?" Levi asked, desperate to soothe his kitten. Eren just shook his head. "What if..I told you we'll try again?" He whispered, surprising even himself with the words. Eren getting pregnant the first time had been an accident, despite the fact they knew it was likely to happen. Levi wasn't even sure if Eren was willing to try again. If the kitten was too scared or too hurt, or just wanted to wait, Levi would understand that. He would be behind Eren, no matter what decision he made.

"Y-you mean try for another baby?" Eren asked, sniffling slightly as he wiped at his nose and eyes.

"Yeah, another baby," Levi whispered. "I'll do everything right this time. It'll be all planned out, we'll keep all the stress away from you and I'll make sure you're nice and healthy before we even start trying," Levi whispered, moving his hand to rub at Eren's back. "I'll give you anything you want, Eren, no matter how many times I have to try. Is another baby what you want, Eren?" Levi asked softly, searching the kitten's face for answers. Eren paused, hesitating in giving his answer as a hand came up, the kitten immediately suckling his fingers between his lips. He looked lost and scared as he did so, debating on how to answer the question. Levi slowly pulled Eren's hand from his mouth, holding on to it gently to keep Eren from returning to that old habit he had when he was little. 

"I-I think I do," Eren said shakily, voice cracking. "I do want a baby." He looked up at Levi, eyes large and a bit teary. "You'd try again with me even after this?"

"Of course, Eren," Levi whispered. "Of course. This..none of this is your fault, you need to know that before we can continue. It's not your fault," he said seriously to the kitten, and Eren gave a hesitant nod in return. "I've always wanted a baby with you, whether I actually knew it or not. I want this, Eren. And if you want a baby too, then so be it, we're having a baby." He smiled at the omega boy, once again combing his fingers through Eren's messy locks. 

"We're having a baby..." Eren mirrored Levi's words, his lips twitching up into a little smile. It wouldn't make up for the baby they'd lost, but it would help heal the gaping wounds Eren felt in his heart. He hadn't realized it either, but he really did want a baby with Levi. "When will we start trying?" He whispered. 

"As soon as the doctor gives the okay. For both of us," Levi sighed. He knew his injuries were minor, but he wasn't sure if having a miscarriage affected the inside of the body or made it hard to get pregnant afterwards. He would be sure to ask Dr. Rusele and not that damn newbie doctor they had last time. Levi still didn't trust him even though he knew it wasn't his fault. Eren gave a nod in response, wrapping his arms around Levi's torso and hugging the man close. 

"Thank you.." Eren whispered. 

"You don't need to thank me," Levi assured the kitten, pressing his lips to the crown of his head to place a gentle kiss there. "You're my little bear, I'd do anything for you. Hell, I'd tear down the walls if you were some kind of psycho and that kind of thing made you happy," Levi admitted, entirely serious. Eren felt his cheeks flush red and he pressed his face into Levi's chest to hide it. Levi gave a little smile, kissing the crown of Eren's head. "I just want you to be happy, Bear."

"I am happy," Eren whispered sincerely. "So happy, Levi.." The words made Levi's heart warm, and he smiled. 

"Good. Me too, Bear. I promise," he said softly, and he wasn't lying. "You don't have to worry about this anymore. Just rest." He continued rubbing Eren's back, holding the boy close until Eren started purring in comfort, something he hadn't done in a while. It made Levi feel better and safe, like they were finally going to be okay. 

The kitten's nap was short, though Levi stayed awake the whole time and just watched him. He played with Eren's hair a bit and rubbed at his back, simply admiring the sleeping form. He enjoyed it more than he should have, though he would never admit that to anyone. A part of him wished he could watch Eren sleep forever, but he knew that wasn't possible. And when the kitten stirred from his little nap, Levi didn't hesitate to pepper his face with kisses. 

Eren yawned, squirming a bit in Levi's arms and smiling at the ticklish feeling of the captain's lips on his cheeks and forehead. He couldn't help giggling, open his eyes to look at up at Levi. "G'morning," he yawned. 

"Mh...It's three in the afternoon," Levi said softly, pushing Eren's hair away from his forehead. "Did you have a nice rest?" He asked the kitten, and Eren nodded, trying to hide his embarrassment at the fact he'd napped all afternoon. 

"Good, I'm glad..." Levi spoke. "I think we have to go somewhere, and it's better that you're well rested."

"We have to go somewhere?" Eren questioned in confusion, rubbing at his eyes. "Where, Levy?" He asked, voice still drowsy and childlike. 

"I think we should go see Armin and Erwin," Levi said softly, brushing Eren's bangs back. "I think it's about time you gave Armin an apology." He looked at the kitten seriously, and Eren immediately shied away. 

"Levy..Don't make me do this.." He begged quietly. refusing to look up at the man. "I can't do this, not now." 

"Eren," Levi sighed. "You're not little anymore. When you've done something wrong, even if you didn't mean it, you've still got to apologize," Levi protested. He felt like a father scolding his young son. "Do you want to lose your friendship with Armin?"

"N-no, I don't.." Eren whispered, teeth worrying his bottom lip. "I don't want to lose Armin.."

"Then you'll apologize," Levi said firmly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah.." Eren hesitantly agreed. God, this would be so embarrassing. The way he'd snapped at Armin was just unacceptable, and the omega had no clue how to apologize for such a thing! Would Armin even forgive him? Eren couldn't remember exactly what he'd said, but he remembered yelling. He hadn't meant to hurt Armin. He would never, ever want to hurt Armin. 

"Alright. Let's get changed into some proper clothes," Levi encouraged, reluctantly shifting himself away from Eren, wincing a bit as he did. He caught Eren's glance of worry, but quickly waved the kitten off. He was just sore, was all. Any movement at all wasn't comfortable, but he'd live. Levi dressed in his usual attire, though a bit more casual than usual. He only wore a navy blue button up and his white pants with his brown belt, not bothering to add his jacket or his boots, simply opting for a pair of day slippers instead. 

Eren opted for a white, silky collared blouse and a pair of tan leggings. Of course, matching frilly white socks and white Mary Janes to his blouse. It made Levi smile the way Eren furrowed his brows and rubbed at his chin during the time he'd tried to find the perfect outfit to wear. As long as Eren kept doing that, Levi wouldn't be able to resist spoiling him with clothes. "Are you ready to go, Bear?" Levi questioned once Eren seemed satisfied, and the kitten nodded. Levi reached down to pick Eren up before remembering that he couldn't, and he sighed. He simply settled for holding Eren's hand, leading the kitten out of the room and toward Erwin and Armin's room. 

They walked a bit slower than normal, both not being in quite the best physical state. But neither of them seemed to really mind, just walking silently and holding hands. It was...nice. It was peaceful. Though, once the two arrived at Erwin and Armin's door, the peace was gone. Eren was nervously squeezing Levi's hand, shuffling his feet against the floor as he debated on whether or not to knock. 

"Go ahead," Levi encouraged softly. Eren looked up at Levi and the man gave a nod, so Eren slowly raised a hand, giving a few gentle knocks on the hard wood door. It was a surprise that Erwin even heard it. 

Eren kept his head down and his ears lowered as Erwin opened up the door, a bit shocked to see Levi and Eren so soon. "I wasn't expecting you," the blonde spoke. 

"You sure sound glad I'm alive," Levi scoffed, and Erwin rolled his eyes. 

"You know what I meant," he protested. "Is everything alright?"

"Eren would like to talk to Armin. Isn't that right, Eren?" Levi asked. Eren looked up, glancing between Erwin and Levi. 

"Yes..." He said quietly, and Erwin bit back a smile. 

"Ah, I see. He's at the table reading. You can go right in, I'm sure he'd enjoy having some company," Erwin said, stepping aside to make room for Eren. The kitten hesitated before letting go of Levi's hand, shuffling past Erwin, and eventually shuffling out of sight. Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

"He came to apologize," Levi explained, and Erwin gave a nod. 

"I assumed so. Though, it's unnecessary. I should be the one apologizing," Erwin admitted. "I shouldn't have brought Armin around Eren so soon."

"There was no way you could've known Eren would react that way. Even I didn't know," Levi sighed. "We've had a rough week."

"I bet.." Erwin murmured. "Tea?"

"No thank you...I've already had six cups today," Levi grumbled. 

Inside the small flat, Eren approached the blonde omega kitten. His feet shuffled against the floor, which was what caught Armin's attention. He looked up from his book, surprised to see his friend. 

"E-Eren, what are you doing here?" Armin asked, closing the book he was reading. 

"Don't say anything, Armin. Look, I- I just came to apologize. The way I treated you.."

"Eren-"

"Armin, no. Don't interrupt, I need to say this. The way I treated you was unacceptable, I understand if you hate me or if you never want to see me again, I understand. But I want you to know I'm really, really sorry," Eren croaked, voice cracking. 

"Eren.." Armin whispered. "Eren, I was never mad at you," he assured the other kitten, a slight smile crossing his lips. "How could I be mad at you for such a thing? I would never."

"R-really?" Eren asked, surprise in his voice as he wiped at his teary eyes. How could Armin not hate him for such a thing?

"Of course," Armin said softly in reassurance, climbing down from his chair to walk over to Eren. "I wasn't mad, Eren. I understood immediately why you were upset, I realized how upset I would be too. I was just scared for you, I didn't know what to do. I wanted to help you, but I knew I couldn't.." said Armin. "You have nothing to be sorry for, but it really means a lot to me that you apologized," Armin whispered gently.

"A-Armin..I was so worried you hated me," Eren admitted. "I thought I'd lost you, too."

"Of course not," Armin whispered. "Of course not, never. Especially not because of a thing like that. Here, let's sit down in the living room, I'm sure you're exhausted," Armin spoke. He took Eren's hand, leading the brunette into the other room and onto the couch without any protest. "How are you...feeling?" Armin asked softly, voice wavering as though he was walking on thin ice. 

Eren just shrugged. "I've been better, I suppose. But I've also been worse." He sighed, sinking back into the couch. "It's been hard, I'm not going to lie."

"I can't even imagine," Armin whispered, reaching over to rub Eren's arm gently. 

"I was really...Angry about it at first, and I'm still upset," Eren admitted hoarsely. "I mean, how can I not be? My baby's dead and yours isn't, why couldn't mine have survived too?" he whispered. "Why? It's just not fair, Armin, it's just not." The teary eyed kitten was getting all worked up again, shaking as he spoke. "I didn't do anything wrong, I took care of myself as best I could and you know what? Poof, Mr. Higher Power just decides he can take away my baby. He had no right-" Eren was sobbing now again, and Armin didn't hesitate to wrap his friend in a hug. Eren hugged him back immediately, fingers digging into Armin's back, face burying itself in the blonde's neck as he clung to him. "It's not fair, it's just not-"

"I know, I know," Armin whispered, his own eyes teary. "I'm so sorry, Eren. I wish this had't happened to you, anyone but you.." Armin felt so incredibly guilty for being pregnant at a time like this. How could he comfort his friend when he had no clue what this kind of loss was like? Here Armin was, a peaceful little duck with his baby safe inside him, and his broken friend crying on his shoulder, aching for the baby he'd lost. Armin had no clue what to do.

Eren simply cried. He cried, and he cried, unable to let go of Armin. But, Armin showed no intentions of letting go. He would be there for Eren, no matter what.

After a while, Eren finally cleared his throat and spoke up again, though kept his face buried in Armin's neck."We-'re g-gonna try again," he sniffled. "For another baby."

"Oh, Eren.." Armin whispered, rubbing his back. "I'll be here every step of the way. I'll read up on every tip I know about how to get pregnant, don't you worry. Hanji and Dr. Rusele have tons of books on that kind of thing. You'll have  a baby in no time," Armin encouraged. 

"You really-think so?" Eren sniffed, breath hitching in between words. 

"I know so.." said Armin. "You got pregnant so easy the first time, it'll be even easier the second time around. You've got this. I know you do."

Eren only let out another sob at his friend's words, clutching to him tighter. "Th-thank you- Armin-" He choked out, finally pulling away and wiping at his nose. 

"Of course, Eren.." Armin  whispered. "Of course." He pulled out a tiny handkerchief, dabbing at Eren's tear stained cheeks. "Do you want to start reading up on it right now?" he whispered. 

"Y-yes please," Eren admitted, looking up at Armin with thanks in his eyes.

He'd never been more grateful for a friend in his life.

 

 

      

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I highly recommend VW Beetles for short people, yes yes, I'm loving it! If you have any questions about this type of car, let me know!
> 
> Eren's outfit - http://i01.i.aliimg.com/wsphoto/v1/1670527169_1/Baby-Girls-font-b-White-b-font-Shirts-font-b-Blouses-b-font-Fashion-font-b.jpg


	23. The Waiting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen here I am not ok with chapter 82 of the manga. 
> 
> All I can say is...Armin's bod is....
> 
> smokin' hot.
> 
> -  
> -  
> -
> 
> please kill me, you have permission
> 
> *UPDATE* I WROTE THIS THREE WEEKS AGO, I'M SO SORRY I HAVENT BEEN UPDATING   
> I don't even have an excuse..I wasn't really that busy with anything...I went on a weekend trip with my boyfriend, but that was two weekends ago. Ugh, I promise my updates will be more regular now guys, it's just hard getting inspiration for this fic anymore, I feel like people don't like it even though I have tons of you guys commenting support all the time. I don't mean to let you guys down!! But this chapter is fairly long, so hopefully that helps make up for it.

Armin had helped Eren look through every baby book they could possibly find. They read old wives tales about how to get pregnant the fastest and how to keep the babies healthy, even how to get pregnant with the gender you wanted. Though, Armin assured Eren that was impossible to influence. Eren didn't really care if he had a boy or a girl, he just wanted a  **baby**. His own little precious baby to love and hold, the one he'd been promised all those weeks ago. 

Yes, it had been weeks since Eren's miscarriage. And yes, the omega refused to give up on researching despite the fact Dr. Rusele recommended Eren not get pregnant for another 2 to 3 months for best results. If need be, they could wait until Eren's next heat. Though, that would be nearly 6 months from now. 

Levi was open to whatever the omega would decide. He personally believed that there was no tricks or hacks to get pregnant, it just happened. You had sex. Made a baby, boom you're parents. He didn't believe in any of those silly wives tales, but of course, Eren did. And of course Levi didn't tell Eren what he thought. He was glad to see Eren doing something constructive and if he wasn't hurting anyone, what was the harm in having hopes and dreams? Levi completely went along with everything Eren told him, listening adamantly and paying close attention to what Eren was saying, enjoying the happiness in his voice. And who knew, maybe this shit really did work? Levi wasn't a damn doctor. The only roles he played in this was the supportive dad and the sex beast. He'd have sex, supply the...seed...then be there for Eren and their baby for whatever they could possibly need. He was honestly content with this role. 

And he would also be content waiting until Eren's next heat if that's how long the boy wanted to wait to conceive, but he doubted Eren could wait that long. The kitten was getting antsy just waiting those couple months until they were cleared to have sex. Then, on top of it, they'd have to wait another 6 or so months for the baby to be born. Levi would never admit it, but he was getting a bit impatient too. He wanted to be a father, more than anything right now. Fighting the titans were no longer his priority, but his family was. The same change had most likely occurred for Erwin as well, and both men seemed much more content with focusing on their mates and starting their families than being out in the battlefield and dealing with Military Police shit.

By now, Armin was beginning to show. Levi could see the way that hurt Eren every time he saw the little rounding curve in Armin's stomach that he knew he should have as well. It just wasn't fair, and Levi didn't know what to do. Armin, most of the time, covered himself up with a blanket so his bump wouldn't be noticeable. But Eren knew it was still there, and it was obvious how the kitten looked at Armin with envy every time the blonde stood up or took the blanket off. Eren just couldn't hide the way he felt, no matter how much he tried. He just really, really didn't want to hurt Armin with his negativity. Armin deserved this baby, he and Erwin deserved to be happy. But Eren wanted to be happy too.

"What about this one?" Armin asked, pointing to a section in the book they'd been reading about old wive's tales. 

"No, I don't think that'll work," Eren sighed, shaking his head as he stared at it. "I don't think eating onions will help me get pregnant when it comes time to try again. That just doesn't make any sense, Armin."

"Well, none of these make much sense at all.." Armin replied, frowning as he continued flipping through the book. "Maybe you should just try before we resort to these."

"No," Eren defended quickly. "I need it to work on the first try once I'm well enough, Armin. I need to get pregnant as soon as possible," the kitten argued. 

"Eren...that's ridiculous, and nearly impossible. You'll be okay if it takes a couple weeks of trying for a ba-"

"No, I won't be okay," Eren protested. "Just help me look, Armin, or I'll look by myself." 

"Alright, okay. I'm sorry," Armin apologized to the irrational brunette kitten beside him. "I'll help you, don't worry." 

Eren was currently at Erwin and Armin's, though neither Erwin or Levi were with them. The two were off at work, doing important things for the war and the walls, all that kind of stuff. They figured they could no longer have Armin and Eren with them while training, considering Armin was pregnant and Eren was still recovering, so Eren just stayed with Armin every day, sometimes Mikasa would come as well, but she and Eren had become rather distant ever since Mikasa found out Eren spent his heat with Levi. 

Eren just couldn't understand why. She'd known for a long time that Eren had feelings for Levi, but...she just couldn't seem to accept it. 

Eren turned his head when the door opened, Erwin entering with Levi following. Eren's ears immediately perked up, twitching happily as Levi didn't hesitate to walk over, lifting Eren up from the couch and into his arms as a greeting. His cheek pressed against the top of Eren's head, Eren's face pressing into his neck. 

"Sorry I'm late, I had a few extra things I had to take care of before I could return," Levi murmured, irritation in his voice. "Did you have a nice day today?"

"I did," Eren replied, voice muffled by the skin of Levi's neck. "Armin and I read books about babies all day."

" _All day?_ " Levi questioned in disbelief, looking over at Armin apologetically, but the blonde simply shrugged and gave a smile. He really didn't mind taking care of Eren and supporting him, and Levi was thankful for that.

"Yes, all day. I know how to get pregnant the right way now, Levy," Eren explained. 

"Eren...There is no right or wrong way," Levi sighed. "We've already discussed this. You needn't worry yourself with such things."

"No, Levy, you'll see. You'll see, I'll have a baby on the first try," Eren defended, and Levi couldn't bring himself to argue.

"Mh...Well, I'm glad you two had a nice time," Levi murmured. "Are you ready to go back to our room?" He asked, and Eren nodded, finally pulling his face out of Levi's neck. 

"I'll see you both tomorrow," Erwin spoke, waving them off as Levi collected Eren's things before carrying the boy out, arms wrapped around him firmly. 

"Did you eat dinner?" Levi asked the kitten as he walked them down the hall, his hand running up and down the boy's back gently. 

"I did," Eren confirmed, cheek comfortably against Levi's shoulder. "Armin made us sandwiches." 

"Well that's good, but I didn't eat yet." Levi unlocked the door, carrying his kitten inside and only setting down Eren's bag once he reached the table, not the boy himself. He kept Eren close in one arm, wandering into the kitchen. "So..What should I make?" He questioned the boy. 

"Nothing," Eren mumbled, digging his face back into Levi's neck. 

"Nothing? Do you want me to starve?" Levi questioned in confusion. 

"Mh..Cuddle with me," the kitten requested oh so sweetly, in such a tone that made it impossible for Levi to resist. 

"I suppose...I could wait a few more minutes for dinner.." Levi spoke in a mumbling tone, running his free hand through his hair as he slowly walked over to their small couch. He moved Eren's bag to the floor, sitting down and adjusting Eren in his lap so that he was more cradling him so he could see the kitten's face. "How's that?" Levi questioned quietly, a hand coming up to smooth along Eren's pink cheek.

"Perfect," Eren purred, closing his eyes and snuggling himself against Levi's chest. His forest green eyes locked with Levi's silvery blue orbs as he lifted himself up a bit to give Levi a quick kiss. 

"What was that for?" Levi questioned in confusion. He wasn't complaining, of course, but he couldn't help being curious. 

"Am I not allowed to kiss you?" Eren questioned teasingly before his lips were on Levi's again, this time a lot firmer and much more intimate, the most intimate any of their kisses had been since the miscarriage. His small hand came up to cup Levi's nape, fingers twisting into the dark black strands of Levi's undercut. Levi didn't hesitate in accepting the kiss, Eren's warm lips feeling so good on his own, his own hands coming down to gently caress Eren's hips before he realized what he was doing. His hands retreated faster than lightning, his lips breaking away from Eren's with a swift 'pop.'

"Eren..." Levi murmured, skepticism in his eyes. Eren ignored Levi's warning, pressing himself closer and swooping in for an even deeper kiss, his hand not curled in Levi's hair rubbing at the man's muscled chest. His tongue snaked between Levi's parted lips, heavy pants of lust escaping through his nose. It took Levi nearly twice the time it did the first round to pull away, but he managed it. He broke free of the kiss, his hands coming up to gently pry Eren's tinier hands away from him. "Eren, don't do this," the man begged quietly. 

"Don't do what?" The kitten questioned innocently, ocean eyes wide with faked confusion. He damn well knew what he was doing, and he damn well knew that he wasn't supposed to be doing this. 

"Eren...we can't...we can't do this, not until you're better," Levi said softly, calloused hand coming up to cup Eren's cheek. "You understand that, don't you?"

"I do understand, Levy, but I'm better," Eren protested, eyes locked on Levi's. "I'm doing just fine, you know that." He shook his head, lips curling into a saddened frown. 

"E-Eren...Bear...Listen, I know you seem better, but there's still a lot of damage inside that we can't see. Dr. Rusele said so.."

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Eren protested desperately. "There is no damage, there's nothing wrong with me, Levi!" 

"Eren," Levi spoke firmly, his other hand coming up to cup Eren's other cheek so that he had the boy's soft, upset face in both his hands. "Listen to me, that's not what I'm saying. There's nothing wrong with you, absolutely nothing. I just would like it if we waited a safe amount of time, alright? I can't risk anything happening to you again," Levi spoke firmly and seriously, unwilling to back down. 

"But Levi!" Eren nearly shouted, fists clenching. "That isn't fair you know it isn't fair! We can make a baby right now, right now and we'll be happy! Why would you make me wait?" Eren asked desperately, eyes becoming teary.

"Eren..Eren no, don't do this," Levi begged. "You don't need to cry. I know it isn't fair that we have to wait, but I wouldn't forgive myself if you suffered through another miscarriage just because of my carelessness. I want to be as careful as possible with this. Don't you?" Levi questioned the upset kitten. 

"I'm just fine to have a baby, my insides are fine," Eren croaked. "I can't wait any longer, Levi." The omega dropped his head and Levi pulled him close again with a sigh.

"You know we should wait, I know that you know," Levi whispered, and Eren couldn't help but sniffle. "I...want to be as safe as possible, but...If you really can't wait, I'll give you a compromise," Levi whispered, and Eren picked up his head a bit with interest. "We..can try for a baby in two weeks. Just two weeks you'll have to wait, if you agree to stop with all this nonsense about tricks to get pregnant. Eren, there is no trick to this. Whatever happens, happens. Alright?"

"That's not fair," Eren whimpered, rubbing at his eyes. "You don't know, some of those tricks could work."

"No, Eren. They won't work, they're completely illogical. Just trust me, alright? If I can't get you pregnant in the next couple months, I'll do whatever kind of weird trick you ask me to do, just - try not to focus on it for now," Levi sighed. "Just try and...be happy..I guess..Listen, I know that sounds stupid, but I know you're capable of keeping your mind off this whole baby thing for the next two weeks." 

"I'm not capable of it, there's nothing else I can do," Eren whispered. "I can talk to Armin, but - he's having a baby, so it won't keep my mind off babies. I can talk to Mikasa, but she...we just..it's not the same as it used to be. I don't have any hobbies, you're working nearly every day, I-I just don't know what to do," Eren admitted brokenly. 

"Eren.." Levi sighed sympathetically, resting his cheek against Eren's head. "I..I'm sorry. I didn't think of that," Levi admitted. He knew that Armin often made Eren think about babies, but now that Levi thought of it, Eren really didn't have anything else to think about. Levi was doing nothing to open the kitten up to hobbies or activities, he was practically keeping Eren captive. "Alright, we'll find something for you to do," Levi agreed quietly. "I promise, I'll find something great."

After that conversation, Levi was determined to find something to keep Eren occupied. But what was there? Levi supposed Eren could go to town and play ball with the children, but no. He was afraid they might make fun of him or play too roughly. And besides, Eren would be offended that Levi suggested that he play with children despite the fact Eren was technically only a year old. He thought about finding Eren some books to read, but Eren already had plenty. He thought maybe there were some jobs around the base Eren could do, but Levi didn't want the kitten straining himself despite the fact that Eren was perfectly healthy. He couldn't think of anything at all until Hanji finally suggested it to him. 

"A neko shelter!" Hanji said triumphantly. 

"A neko shelter?" Levi questioned in confusion. "Hanji, Eren doesn't need a place to live."

"No, no, silly goose. I know that," she said, rolling her deep brown eyes playfully. "Nekos are becoming more and more common, and people are beginning to take a notice of their poor living conditions, especially underground. Some people have started an organization on the other side of town, they're taking in stray nekos and caring for them until they can find a more permanent place for the kittens to live."

"What, do you think I'm giving Eren away?" Levi scoffed in disbelief. "Listen, you four eyed-"

"No!!" Hanji interrupted him, cackling. "You're so thick, Levi! I was thinking maybe you could ask for Eren to stay there a couple hours a day or a few times a week or whatever. He could interact with others of his own kind," Hanji explained. "He needs other neko friends besides Armin and Mikasa, you know. He needs to feel like he has others in this world who know what he's going through," Hanji said. Levi frowned, crossing his arms and shifting. 

He didn't want to admit it, but...that wasn't a terrible idea. Maybe it would be good for Eren to interact with other nekos. After all, Levi wasn't a neko expert, so there were some things Eren could be taught from the other nekos that he would've never learned otherwise. 

"Some of them are from the underground? No..No, they could be mean to him or something," Levi spoke before he could help himself. 

"Oh, Levi, you don't have to be such an overprotective daddy! Eren can stand up for himself, you know that. He needs to have interaction with others outside of the base, Levi."

"I..I know, I know, alright?" Levi grumbled. "And I'm not his daddy.." 

"Sure you're not. Oh Levi, this'll be so great! He'll be so happy, he'll have so much fun, it'll be like a little neko daycare," Hanji practically squealed. "I'm sure the people running it will be happy to have Eren visit the other nekos." 

"Yeah, yeah.." Levi mumbled. "Maybe you're not completely useless, Shitty Glasses?"

"What was that I heard? A compliment?" Hanji asked excitedly, but Levi simply ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. 

"Don't push it." 

Levi ended up using his lunch break to travel to said 'neko shelter' with shitty directions scribbled down by Hanji on a crumpled piece of paper. It took him nearly 45 minutes to find the place, so he'd simply accepted by that point that he was going to be late returning to training. 

The place...wasn't much. It was simply a little cottage, gated in of course so that nekos playing outside didn't escape. There were only two outside at the moment, a little blonde girl and a dark haired, freckled one who seemed to be just watching the blonde girl frolic rather intently. 

"Excuse me," Levi called, catching their attention. The little blonde neko gasped and was suddenly dashing toward the cottage. "No-no, I'm friendly!" Levi called. "I have a neko of my own, I just needed your help."

"Krista, stop running," The dark haired, freckled neko who was most likely an alpha called after the blonde. Krista immediately stopped running when the brunette told her to stop, turning around obediently. 

"This is a shelter for nekos, yes?" Levi asked, and the brunette nodded. 

"What's your point? You want to abandon your neko?" She asked. 

"No, of course not.." Levi murmured. He opened up the gate, not bothering to ask if he could come in. "Who owns this place? Are they inside?" He asked, and the blonde named Krista gave a little nod. Levi strode up the stone steps, knocking lightly on the wooden cottage door. It was only a few seconds before it swung open. A raven haired woman with large, olive green eyes opened the door, a book in her hand. 

"Can I help you?" She asked as she looked Levi over before realization struck her. She gasped, standing up straight. "Y-you're humanity's strongest-" she stammered. 

"Yes, I- I'm aware," Levi sighed. "Look, that's not important. Do you mind if I come in?" He questioned. The woman nodded obediently, taking a step back and opening up the door a bit further to allow Levi inside.

"Yes, of course. Please, please take a seat," she said nervously. "I'm Ilse Langnar, what can I do for you?"

"You see, I have this neko," Levi started without hesitation, rubbing his chin. "He's very well behaved and-"

"We take any nekos that aren't wanted any longer, please don't worry. But I just want you to think about what you're giving up because-"

"No-" Levi cut her off, waving his hand quickly. "No, no. I'm not giving him away, I can assure you. I wouldn't trade him for anything in the world."

"Oh, I see.." Ilse spoke. "Then...what are you doing here? Are you looking to adopt?"

"No, I have sort of a...strange favor to ask.." Levi looked over at a few nekos sitting in the corner on a rug. The cottage was a bit shabby, but fairly clean, and there were quite a few activities for the nekos to partake in, like reading and coloring, as Levi could see from the books and papers on a small, child sized table. "My neko, Eren...Like I was saying, he's very well behaved, but he's recently suffered some...personal issues. And he..doesn't really have anything to do while I'm working, and he only has two friends who are nekos," Levi spoke. "I...heard about this place and I...came to wonder if maybe you'd accept Eren as a guest here a couple times a week. I'd pay you, of course," Levi assured the woman. 

"Oh-I...I've never had an offer like that," Ilse said with surprise, cocking her head before she was opening up her leather bound book that Levi now realized was a diary, and she quickly began to scribble things down. "Eren..That's his name, right?" She asked, and Levi gave a nod. "I mean...I...I don't see why he couldn't spend some time here, and the payment would really help out, even if it's just a little. And besides, some of these nekos...They could really use some picking up from someone who lives in a loving home. He could show them that there's always hope of them living that life too."

"Yes, I do think Eren would be quite good at that," Levi spoke. "He's very positive. He...can be a little sensitive right now because of recent events. And I don't want him doing any rough housing or too much playing outside, that wouldn't be good for him. I'll pack a lunch for him to bring, please try to make sure he eats it all. I'm telling you this now because if I said this in front of him, he would freak out. He's very...independent," Levi murmured as Ilse jotted down all the information in her diary. 

"I think I've got all that," she spoke. "Of course, I'll do everything you ask. I'm sure the other kittens will love having someone new." Levi looked over at some of the kittens in the corner again, a death stare coming from a young, blonde neko not going unnoticed by Levi. 

"Mh...I'll..Bring him by tomorrow morning, if that's alright. I have to return to my work now," Levi spoke, abruptly standing. He didn't like all of these nekos staring at him, especially the creepy blonde one. She reminded him too much of Mikasa.

"That's just fine, I'll be here all day," Ilse spoke. "I'm sure he'll be very happy to interact with some other nekos." 

Levi simply hummed in reply as he let himself out, nodding to the two nekos he'd met earlier outside as they stared at him. Ilse walked Levi out, only stopping at the end of the pathway where the gate was. Levi exited the gate, climbing onto his horse as Ilse gave him a wave. He only gave a small wave back as curtesy, digging his heels into his horse's sides in order to take off. The woman was so nice and so understanding, and had agreed to everything Levi wanted. Why did he feel so pissed off?

For the rest of the day, Levi absent-mindedly trained new scouting recruits, not caring much for it since he was already pissed off and he knew he had much better things to do as the best captain in the Scouts. He wasn't being selfish, it was simply a fact. If everyone knew him as humanity's strongest, he might as well act like it until he was inside where he could simply let his guard down and cuddle with Eren. Levi really felt like the day couldn't get any longer. 

But oh, it did. Of course after training, Erwin had plenty of 'emergency' paperwork that needed to be signed right away. That took Levi an extra hour. By the time he got to Erwin and Armin's room, Eren and Armin were curled up together on the couch, fast asleep. 

Levi had wished he'd gotten there earlier to spend some time with Eren before he fell asleep, but the sight of the two kittens peacefully snuggled up together made Levi sigh contentedly, a lot of the tension from his long day easing away. Eren just looked so peaceful and content, and Levi could even hear the kitten purring from halfway across the room. He loved to watch Eren sleep, of course, in the least creepy way possible...

"Precious, aren't they?" Erwin murmured from where he sat at the table, reading glasses on his nose and a book in his hands.

"Asshole, I thought you were doing paperwork in your office?" Levi hissed.

"I may have given you some paperwork that I needed help finishing.." Erwin murmured, giving a shrug as he looked back down at his book. "They were already asleep when I arrived."

"If you weren't the commander, I would take that damn book and shove it up your-"

"Levi, you'll wake them," Erwin warned, trying to hide his smirk. "You should take Eren home now, I'm sure he'll be more comfortable in his own bed."

"You just want to watch Armin all alone like some creeper," Levi grumbled. "But fine, I'll move my precious, sleeping kitten just so you can have some alone time with your fetishes."

"Mhm.." Erwin hummed sarcastically. "I appreciate it. I'm glad you understand my sick fetishes that you made up in your head."

"You're welcome.." Levi grumbled, quieting when he walked up to the sleeping kittens. He very slowly and very carefully unwrapped Eren's arms from around Armin, pulling the two kittens apart gently enough so that he didn't wake them. He lifted Eren's limp body into his arms, holding him firmly and tucking Eren's face into his neck as his chin rested on the top of Eren's head. Only after he'd given the kitten's forehead a quick kiss, of course. 

Even though Eren was full grown, Levi could still easily hold him in one arm, leaving his other arm free to hold Eren's bag while his hand gave a slight wave to Erwin, then opened up the door. 

He carried Eren back to their room, steps gentle and his free hand rubbing at Eren's back gently to keep the purring kitten content in his sleep. He knew Eren wasn't a child and that he probably should've woken him up, but Levi couldn't force himself to do that. Eren looked so peaceful and...Levi hated to admit it...but Eren looked so adorable as well. It was Levi's only weakness. He was even hesitant to set Eren down in the bed once they got back to the room. Levi just wanted to keep holding him, but he eventually forced himself to gently set Eren down and tuck him in tight, making sure the kitten was completely comfortable before he left the beside to change out of his work clothes, then make a quick dinner. He made sure to set out a snack for Eren as well since he wasn't sure if the boy ate dinner or not, and he didn't want Eren going hungry if he woke up in the middle of the night with a rumbling tummy.

Only after Levi had eaten and washed up for bed was he content enough to actually join Eren in slumber, the man sliding into the sheets and spooning Eren from behind, his bigger, stronger body wrapping around Eren's small and vulnerable one protectively. Maybe he was too protective of Eren, but he couldn't help himself. Eren was his mate, the only person he ever cared about like this. He knew Eren could take care of himself, but that didn't change the fact that Levi  **wanted** to take care of the boy in every way possible. Maybe this neko 'Daycare' wouldn't only help Eren, but Levi as well. 

Levi's sleep wasn't peaceful. He kept dreaming about awful things happening to Eren, but Eren was in that damn neko shelter and nobody came to get him because they didn't know how to find him, or the base was too far, or- too many scenarios were plaguing his sleeping mind. 

Eren, on the other hand, slept like a rock. He'd been so tired that day for absolutely no reason, and Armin seemed the same way. He supposed it was just one of those days, maybe it was rainy outside or something, but he hadn't bothered to check. But Eren didn't know about this neko shelter yet, and when Levi waited for Eren to awake the next morning, he was nervous. Much more nervous than he knew he should be.

When Eren stirred, he nearly jumped. He let out a deep breath as the kitten yawned and rolled over, those playful, glittering Caribbean eyes staring up at him after delicate lids fluttered open. "G'morning, Levy," Eren yawned sweetly, and Levi felt his heart ache. He felt like he was betraying Eren by doing this...He should've asked Eren first.

"Goodmorning, Bear.." Levi sighed. "Did you sleep alright?" He reached out, tucking messy chestnut strands behind Eren's human ear. 

"Mh..I did..I don't even remember coming home from Armin's," Eren murmured, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. 

"That's because you were asleep. I don't think you even woke up the slightest bit when I carried you back here," Levi replied. "Were you and Armin busy yesterday?"

"No, just..tired," Eren admitted sheepishly, shrugging. "Did you sleep well?"

"Mh.." Levi hummed in response, looking away. "I suppose. There's something I'd like to go over with you, if that's alright...It's nothing too serious," Levi spoke, bouncing his leg nervously. 

"Uhm - go ahead," Eren answered in slight surprise, nodding. Levi simply sighed as he looked at Eren's innocent face, the kitten completely unknowing of what Levi was about to say. 

"Look...I've arranged for you to go visit someplace today instead of going to Armin's.." Levi said. "It's..it's a shelter for nekos." Eren's eyes widened, and Levi quickly took his hand. "It's not like that - I'm not giving you away or anything, I would never," Levi assured the kitten. "I spoke to the lady who owns it, I asked her if maybe you could stay there during the day while I'm working so that you could try and make some more friends."

"Wha-what?" Eren stammered. "But I have plenty of friends. I have Armin, Mikasa...Hanji, uhm-" Eren stammered, hand coming to his chin. "And more.."

"You're only friends with people at the base, which isn't fair to you...You deserve a wider range of people to befriend. You can't just rely on Armin your whole life..." Levi murmured. 

"I-is that what this is about?" Eren whispered, hurt in his voice. "Armin-Armin doesn't want to be friends with me anymore?" His voice shook as he stared at Levi with glassy eyes, and Levi rubbed his brow. 

"No,  **no**. That's not what I'm saying, Eren. Armin cares about you deeply, he hasn't ever said anything bad about you, I can promise you that. But you need more people like you, Eren. More people who have gone through the things you have," Levi tried to explain, and Eren cocked his head, a deep frown on his face.

"This..is about the miscarriage, isn't it?" Eren whispered. "Listen, if you think I can't handle being around Armin just because he's pregnant and I'm not, you're damn wrong!" Eren snapped. "I'm not as weak as you think."

"That's not - that's not what I'm saying," Levi assured the boy, but in a way, it was exactly what he was saying. "I just think it's taking a toll on you, a toll you shouldn't have to be suffering. It isn't fair to you, Eren. You shouldn't just be trapped inside here wasting away while I work, you deserve to socialize and try new things...I really think this would be a good opportunity for you."

"I don't want to go there!" Eren snapped. "It's too far away from you, and too far away from Armin. I don't even know these other kittens," Eren protested. "How do I know you're not going to leave me there and never come back for me!"

"Eren," Levi snapped firmly. "You know damn well I wouldn't do that, so don't you dare accuse me of such a thing." Eren looked away guiltily, then down at his lap before murmuring a half assed apology. Levi simply, sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. "Look, I'm sorry...This wasn't any way to introduce this to you. I shouldn't have just sprung this on you," Levi admitted. "I just don't want to see you hurting anymore, so....At least try it, just for one day. If you don't like it, I won't ever make you go ever again. That's a promise, Eren."

"I only have to go for this one day?" Eren whispered, looking up at Levi, and Levi gave a nod. "I..guess.." the kitten murmured, giving a shrug. What other choice did he have? And...Maybe it would be good to give Armin a break. Eren just felt like he was burdening him most of the time.

"Thank you, Eren," Levi sighed, reaching out to run a hand through Eren's hair. "It's very big of you to do this. I know it's hard making new friends."

"I'm not a child, don't speak to me like I am," Eren grumbled, sliding off the bed and walking over to the dresser to rummage through his many items of clothing. Levi simply sighed, knowing Eren was right. He needed to treat Eren like his significant other, not like his child. 

Eren dressed in his favorite white, cozy sweater, paired with a rose tinted skirt, with white tights of course and matching Mary Janes. 

"You look pretty, Bear," Levi spoke once the kitten was dressed, but Eren simply gave a sad shrug in reply, walking into the kitchen.  _Dammit, Levi,_ the raven thought to himself. He'd gone about this all wrong, and was now just patronizing Eren even more. Maybe he just needed to give the boy space. 

He let Eren make his own breakfast, which was just some granola in a bowl with a splash of milk on it. Levi didn't have much food and debated going down to the mess hall and eating breakfast with the other soldiers like he did every so often, but decided just not to eat breakfast at all. He wasn't very hungry, anyway, so he just took the extra time to clean his gear up and polish his blades, trying to avoid glancing at Eren and making sure the kitten was alright. Eren was just fine without Levi, wasn't he?

Levi waited patiently for the boy to be ready after he finished his breakfast, and Eren didn't take long to fix up his hair and brush his teeth, then grab his usual bag. 

"Here, let me-" Levi leaned down to take the bag from Eren, but the kitten turned his shoulder to block the bag from Levi's grasp. 

"I can handle it," Eren grumbled, despite the fact the bag was practically the size of him. 

"You're right," Levi sighed, his hand returning back to his side, itching to grab Eren a jacket in case the boy got chilly, but he resisted. Eren could decide whether or not he needed a jacket. Apparently, the boy decided he didn't, since he simply walked out without grabbing one, dragging his bag behind him. Levi just sighed again. 

The only thing he did help Eren with was strapping the bag to the horse, then lifting the kitten up onto the saddle, but that was only because Eren had no chance of reaching that high himself. 

He held Eren tightly as he coaxed his horse off into a gentle, but fast paced trot towards town. "I really think you'll like this place, Eren. There are a lot of different things for you to do, I'm sure you'll have quite a good time," Levi tried to encourage the kitten, but Eren simply shrugged again. He just didn't seem interested in talking right now. 

The entire ride was about 15 or 20 minutes, almost completely silent the whole time. Levi didn't know how to have a conversation with someone that refused to speak to him.

Levi's knock on Ilse's door was hesitant, the man shifting awkwardly before she opened it up. Two figures darted between her legs and outside, the darker haired one giggling as another neko chased him around the yard. 

"Jean, Marco, be careful," Ilse called, shaking her head. "Sorry, Captain. Come in, come in." She opened up the door, ushering the two inside. Eren held onto Levi's pant leg without even realizing it, his tiny fingers twisted desperately into the fabric. Ilse shifted her gaze down at Eren before she dropped slowly into a kneeling position. "You must be Eren," she spoke. "Levi told me a lot of good things about you yesterday. It's nice to meet you, I'm Ilse," she spoke, holding out her hand. Eren hesitated until Levi gave him a slight nudge, making Eren reach out and shake her hand. 

"He's a bit tired today, you'll have to excuse him.." Levi murmured, running a hand through Eren's hair. 

"It's quite alright, I understand. This is a new environment for him," Ilse spoke. "It may be hard for him to get used to. Nekos are very territorial, so a new place is a bit overwhelming, especially when other nekos are involved," Ilse tried to explain as best as she could. Levi simply nodded in understanding, hand not moving from where it gently petted at Eren's wavy locks.

Eren looked up at Levi, a stern frown on his face due to how the woman talked about Eren like he was too young to even comprehend it. Levi just gave the kitten's head another nervous and awkward pat. He knew Eren hated it when people talked to him like that, but it was hard for others to realize Eren wasn't  **technically** a child. He was damn close enough, though Levi wouldn't admit that. If he admitted it, that would make him a pedophile. Which he wasn't, since Eren had reached maturity...But still, Eren could be so immature. Maybe he wasn't ready to have a baby yet, but how could Levi deny him such a thing? He couldn't. Eren was immature, but he was loving. He would still make a fine mother. 

"Captain?" Ilse asked the zoned out man when he did not reply, and he quickly snapped out of his thoughts about his beloved. 

"Mh..Yes.." Levi murmured. He cleared his throat, kneeling down and taking Eren's hands in his own, thumbs running over the kitten's tiny knuckles. "Eren, I...I have to go now. You will be good here, won't you?" Levi asked, but quickly shook his head. "No- that's not what I meant," he sighed before Eren could even get offended about it. "You're always good, you know that...Well,  **almost** always.." Levi huffed. "You'll be  **okay** here without me?" Levi rephrased his question, looking into the kitten's eyes to see they were a bit more pleased than he expected. 

"I..I suppose," Eren said quietly, looking over at Ilse, who gave an encouraging smile before writing something else down in her journal, presumably about Eren. "You'll be back right after work?" He asked the raven haired man before him. 

"I'll even get out early to come get you, and we'll spend all evening together. I'll be here at 3 o'clock, how's that sound, Bear?" He asked, pulling one hand away from Eren's to rub gently up and down the kitten's side. Eren gave a slight shrug, acting uninterested, but he couldn't hide the glint of excitement and relief in his eyes. 

"You promise? All evening?" Eren asked, and Levi gave an ever so slight smile, something he was usually quite good at hiding in public. 

"I promise," Levi confirmed before standing up to leave, Ilse still jotting things down in her journal like she was writing a god damn book. 

As Levi forced himself to turn back after giving Ilse Eren's bag, he made a promise to himself. 

No more damn paperwork from Commander Eyebrows. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you guys checked out my new fic, A Place for Hearts to Rest? I'm cowriting it with XanderB! Some of you may read their stuff, it's mostly Riren. I write Eren, and they write Levi. Eren isn't a kitty, but I promise you, it's still a great read! Lots of...angst...and smut. That's all you'll ever need. Plus MPREG, duh. 
> 
> Eren's outfit -   
> http://www.chicwish.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/0/2013.8.1.39fm.jpg
> 
> If you have any suggestions for this fic or outfits you'd like Eren to wear, please contact me in any way listed below, or leave a comment! Also, shoot me an email or a message on tumblr if you're interested in RP or just want to chat, I love talking to you guys. I'll try not to be MIA anymore ;*


	24. The Horse and the New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost 1,000 kudos...OMG. I never thought I would get this far :) How's everyone enjoying their summer? Well...Everyone in the Western Hemisphere is on holiday break, at least. Sorry for some of you europeans out there and australians, and...wherever else isn't on break, I don't have a map with me. Speaking of which, where are the majority of my readers from? Comment where you're from, I'm currently living in Virginia, USA. It's too hot here right now.

Eren looked around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. Or, at least, trying to. This wasn't fair, he knew he didn't belong here. He wasn't abandoned or orphaned, or anything like that. Well, he was at one point, but that was so long ago, he could barely even remember it. He belonged to Levi now, he had a home. His home was with Levi, not here. Of course, he knew he wasn't staying here permanently, but still...

"Eren?" Ilse interrupted his thoughts. "Why don't you go on and introduce yourself to some of the others, hm?" She suggested, giving Eren a gentle push, which only made his face twist up in irritation.  _Don't touch me, old hag_ _,_ Eren thought to himself. But then again, Ilse wasn't even that old. He was just having mean thoughts, he was so irritated. He agreed to come here for Levi's sake, but that didn't mean he wanted to be here. He didn't, not one bit. "Come on, you'll have fun. They're very nice, Eren."

"Yeah...sure.." Eren mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest as he made his way toward a group of nekos. They were all staring at him, like he was some kind of pig on a skewer, ready to be eaten. God, why did Eren have to be here? 

"Eren...Let me help introduce you," Ilse offered. "This here is connie, he's been here for a few months," Ilse explained, motioning to a little neko with a buzzcut, who's attention was now focused away from Eren, his fingers in his belly button as he picked at it. "Connie, say hello."

"Huh?" Connie looked up, pulling his finger out of his belly button, picking at the yellow crust under his nail. "I'm Connie!" He said excitedly, holding out his hand to offer a shake, and Eren cringed. 

"Connie, you're disgusting!" The Auburn haired girl next to him cried, smacking Connie's hand away from Eren. "He won't want to be friends with you when you're so gross!" 

"You're gross too!" Connie defended, pulling at the girl's hair, which several crackers fell out of. She screamed in embarrassment, picking up the crackers off the floor and shoving them into her mouth, which only made matters worse. 

"That's...Sasha," Ilse sighed, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "This is Ymir..." She gestured to a dark, freckled neko who simply shrugged in reply. She seemed semi-normal, right? "And that's Krista. She came here with Ymir when their owner couldn't care for them anymore." Ilse gestured to the blonde who was curled up beside Ymir, her head in the darker haired girl's lap as she napped peacefully. "Marco and Jean are playing outside, they should be in in a moment for a snack...and over there is Annie." Ymir nodded her head toward a blonde girl sitting in the corner alone, glaring at Eren as her hands absently banged two blocks together. "She's a loner. She's been here the longest...She...isn't the easiest kitten to get along with. She scares away some of the people looking to adopt.." Ilse explained with a sigh. "Her only friends got adopted not too long ago. It's a shame, really." 

"I..." Eren was a bit overwhelmed with all of this...information. Not just about Annie, but everyone. Everyone here was so...odd. So odd. Who keeps crackers in their  **hair?** And why was that bald kid picking in his belly button? What, were these kids stupid? Maybe Jean and Marco would be normal, but he had yet to meet them..But he wouldn't keep his hopes up.

"I'll leave you all to play while I prepare a snack," Ilse explained, patting Eren on the head before swiftly walking off, nearly bumping into a few things as she'd pulled out her diary to write while she walked. Eren sighed, seeing he had no choice but to sit alone in the corner like Annie, or sit here. So he plopped down onto the carpet, looking down at his feet. 

"You got any smokes?" The one called Ymir suddenly asked, voice quiet as not to wake Krista. 

"Have I got any- what?" Eren asked, cocking his head. 

"You know, smokes. Cigarettes," Ymir explained. "You got some, right?"

"Why-why would I have those?? I've never smoked in my life-" Eren stammered. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You got that rich owner and all, I didn't expect you to be a square.." Ymir said, shaking her head. 

"Square, square, square," Connie chanted, banging his fists on the floor. 

"Levi isn't rich," Eren said, shaking his head. "Sure, we live comfortably, but-" Eren was cut off by a sweet, high pitched yawn from the little blonde in Ymir's lap. Bright blue eyes not unlike Armin's blinked open, a little smile crossing her lips. 

"Who's this?" Krista yawned, sitting up. "Ymir, are you playing nice?"

"Of course I am. This is my new pal, Eren. I'm playing nice, aren't I, Eren?" Ymir questioned. Eren didn't really want any trouble, and all Ymir did was call him a square..

"Uh..I guess," Eren murmured, shrugging. "I mean, I wouldn't really say we're pals-"

"Good, pal. Did you have a nice nap, baby?" Ymir cooed to Krista, who giggled and nuzzled her nose against Ymir's. It made Eren feel sick. Were he and Levi that sickeningly sweet? God, he really hoped not..

"Marco, look, it's that kid who just got abandoned-" A voice could be heard from behind Eren. The brunette turned around to see two figures in the doorway, both nekos, though one was obviously an alpha. 

"Jean, that's not very nice. I'm sure he's very upset," the smaller one said, pouting. That must be...Marco, right?

"N-no-" Eren quickly stammered upon instinct. "I'm not- I wasn't abandoned. Levi will be back to pick me up soon.." Eren explained. "He just thought I should come here to make new friends.." He looked at the two nervously, fingers picking at the lace on his skirt. 

"That's what they all say, you know.." The alpha kitten known as Jean spoke. "It's alright, you'll just have to accept that this is your home now. There's no point in trying to fool yourself.." He sighed with fake sympathy. "You're just like the rest of us poor saps. Don't think you're so high and mighty." He gave a little smirk, looking at his fingernails as though he was trying to act as if he didn't care when he spoke.

"Excuse me?" Eren mumbled, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not- I'm not being 'high and mighty,' or whatever," the kitten growled. "I'm just telling you the truth. Levi- my owner..." He shivered at the words. It was weird to think Levi  **owned** him. Neither he, not Levi ever really thought of it that way...They were equals. "He's coming back for me at 3 o'clock. He wouldn't give me away.." 

"He wouldn't? Why else would he bring you here? There are plenty of neko play centers around here, you know...He could've brought you to one of those if he actually wanted to keep you," Jean spoke, yawning. 

"Play center? I've never heard of one of those...that doesn't even exist," Eren spoke, shaking his head. "Levi has no reason to give me away, he loves me. He tells me so every day." 

"Does he tell you what else he thinks?" Jean asked, and Eren slowly shook his head in confusion. "You say he has no reason to give you away, but think...I mean, I know he brought you here because, well...a little birdie told me you were having some 'personal problems.' Let's just leave it at that, I wouldn't want to embarrass you...But don't you think that'd be reason enough for him to give you away?" Jean asked.

Eren immediately stood up, taking a step back and nearly tripping over Connie. "Wh-what? You don't-you don't know my problems, why would you know them?" Eren asked shakily, face angry, but body shaking with poorly hidden emotion. 

"Jean, stop it, you're being so cruel," Marco begged. "Stop messing with him, that's enough now." 

"I'm only being honest. Your Levi came in the other day and talked about how much trouble you are, and how those 'personal issues' are affecting him. You're really a handful...No wonder he brought you here," Jean continued on, despite Marco's protests.

"Oiii..don't listen to him, he's just showing off for Marco," Sasha spoke with a yawn. 

"Shut up, you country bumpkin," Jean snapped at her and she gasped, a pout forming on her lips. 

"Levi would never, ever say that about me!" Eren yelled, stepping forward towards Jean, despite the fact Jean was a bit bigger. "You're just jealous because nobody wants to adopt you!" 

"I've had plenty of people want to adopt me, but I don't want to go with those idiots!" Jean spat. "I'm only trying to help you out. Levi doesn't  **want** you anymore. When 3 o'clock rolls around, you're going to be pretty disappointed. I was only giving you a warning, you bastard." Jean gritted his teeth, stepping forward to match Eren. 

"You don't know anything about me, or Levi! You don't have the right to say such things about people you don't know. So shut your big fat mouth!" Eren snapped, shoving Jean away from him with unexpected force. 

"Not only a bastard, but suicidal too," Jean growled once he'd caught his balance. He rushed at Eren and in one swift motion, had the brunette kitten pinned to the floor. Eren immediately cried out upon impact. Not only in pain, but in surprise. This horseface was  **crazy**. 

"Get off me!" Eren demanded, throwing his arms around frantically, hitting Jean as much as possible as an attempt to get the alpha kitten off him, but it was no use, Jean was doing the exact same thing. Eren had never been punched in the fact until now, and...he decided he didn't like it. It was not fun, not one bit of fun. 

"Jean! Eren!" Ilse cried out as she ran into the room, having abandoned the snacks she was preparing in the kitchen once she heard all of the commotion. "Break it up, now!" She demanded. When neither kitten obeyed, she was quick to rush over and pull a squirt bottle from her belt, squirting it at the both of them. Jean hissed, faltering enough for Ilse to grab him and tear him off Eren, holding him under her arm like a football. 

Eren sat up, spluttering as he wiped at his eyes. "We're not cats, what the hell?" Eren asked angrily. Had this woman just squirted him with **water?** Was she insane? 

"That type of language will not be tolerated here! You were sprayed not because you're cats, but because you were being naughty!" Ilse snapped. She grabbed Eren by the wrist and yanked him up, dragging both him and Jean to the kitchen. She picked them up and roughly plopped them on the table before two wet rags were in her hands. She was suddenly rubbing at their faces roughly, wiping away any blood or- spit. Eren was fairly sure at some point he'd spit on Jean as a defense mechanism. 

"Good grief," Ilse huffed as she tossed the soiled rags aside. "Look at you both! You'll be covered in bruises for days!" 

"He started it.." Jean whined, looking down at his lap. 

"Wh-what? I did not!" Eren defended. 

"Jean, I know Eren didn't start this all by himself. You both are equally responsible for your actions. Your stupid, idiotic actions. You-" She pointed at Eren, and the kitten tensed up. "You haven't even been here for a day and you're already causing trouble!" She lectured, and Eren seemed to shrink in on himself. Jean couldn't help but smirk. 

"And  **you** ," Ilse suddenly pointed at Jean. "He hasn't even been here for a day and you're already picking on him! You both should be ashamed." She shook her head, grabbing two plates from the 8 on the counter. She turned Eren one way and Jean the other so that they were back to back before she plopped the plates in their laps. "No talking, no moving from this spot until I tell you so. Eat your snacks, and I expect you to eat every last bite." 

And with that, she walked away. 

Eren huffed, looking at the plate in his lap. Some bread and jam, cut up carrots, and a piece of chocolate. Eren would've thought that was a pretty good snack if he wasn't so upset. He put his face in his hands, trying to keep his sobs silent, but it was no use. He could've sworn he heard Jean mumble something rude, but he was too upset to care. He wanted to be with Levi, he wanted to be sure Levi still loved him, that he wasn't mad at him for...what had happened. Was this really too much for Levi? Would he even consider giving Eren away? He couldn't...he just couldn't. Eren couldn't live without Levi. Levi would come back for him, he promised. He promised he would come ba-

"Psst.." Eren heard a whisper. "Psst..down here.." Eren opened his eyes, looking down below at a figure beneath the table. 

"S-sasha..?" Eren murmured, and she put a finger to her lips. 

"Are you gonna eat that?" She whispered, pointing to Eren's plate. The green eyed brunette simply sighed, picking up his plate and lowering it down into Sasha's greedy hands. He wasn't hungry, anyway. 

Even when Ilse came back and dismissed Eren and Jean from their timeout, he didn't move a muscle until Ilse picked him up and lowered him to the ground. He shuffled away, only so that he wouldn't bother her. He made his way into the living room, or rather the nekos' play area and sat himself down in the nearest corner. It happened to be the corner where the mysterious blonde neko, Annie, sat. She didn't seem like she would bother Eren, though. She was very quiet, after all. 

Eren buried his face in his knees, letting out shaky sighs as he sat there. He didn't care that his legs and neck were cramping, he just wanted to stay curled up in a ball. 

"Idiots.." He heard a low voice murmur, and he looked up at Annie in surprise. 

"A-are you talking to me?" He questioned. 

"They're all idiots," she grumbled. "Every single one." 

"I mean...I guess they're-" 

"You're an idiot too," Annie mumbled. "Don't think you're special."

"H-hey, don't you think I've been harassed enough for one day?" Eren asked, frowning. 

"It's your own fault, really...I had hope for you. You let yourself get sucked into these stupid games by that horseface," Annie spoke, nodding her head toward Jean, who was sitting across the room with Marco. 

 _I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks he looks like a horse..._ Eren thought to himself. But a part of him...knew Annie was right. He shouldn't have let Jean rile him up like that, and now he had the bruises to show his stupidity. "I...guess you're right.." Eren sighed. "But he said-"

"I heard what he said. It's not true. I was here when your alpha stopped by, he didn't say what any of your personal problems are, and frankly - I don't care, so don't tell me," Annie sighed, rolling her eyes. "We've all got problems. You're some kind of overprivileged princess compared to the rest of us, even if it doesn't seem like it to you."

"I'm not overpriv-"

"I said compared to the  **rest of us**. Trust me, I've been here longer than anyone...It's not all fun and games. Whatever fucked up life you have with that captain guy, I'm sure he'll come back for you.." Annie spoke. As some kind of...kindness? Eren wasn't sure. 

"I...I know it's hard here, I didn't mean to-yeah..." Eren whispered. He believed Annie, but at the same time, couldn't help worrying that Levi wouldn't come back for him. He wouldn't believe it until he saw it. 

"Whatever..I'll show you how to take down that asshole over there some day. It's easy enough," Annie mumbled, and Eren gave a simple nod. He could tell Annie wasn't a talker, but...he appreciated this little talk. He wouldn't bother her anymore. 

Even though Annie helped cheer him up, he was still quite down for the rest of the day. He missed Levi. He wanted Levi to come get him. He kept watching the clock, watching the hours..no - the minutes tick by, he was so desperate. He didn't even eat the lunch Levi packed for him, despite Ilse's pleading. She told him Levi wanted him to eat that lunch, but again, he wouldn't believe it until he saw it.

He couldn't do anything but wait. He eventually picked up some blocks that Annie had been using earlier, but all he did was stack them up and then knock them down repeatedly. He couldn't find the creativity to build anything. 

He'd been sitting in the same spot so damn long, his whole body was stiff. He was starving, and his bruises were beginning to purple and frankly, they hurt like hell. Eren locked at the clock. 

2:58. 

It felt like a whole 'nother hour went by. 

2:59.

Maybe 3 or 4 hours could've gone by at this point. 

3:00. 

Nothing. 

No one entered through the door, no trotter of horseshoes could be heard outside. Eren looked at the clock with teary eyes. 

3:01. 

Eren was crying at this point, and he noticed everyone staring. He couldn't do anything but curl up in a ball again, chin to his chest and knees pulled up tight. 

3:15. Finally, the sound of a door could be heard opening, and Eren's head shot up, Levi immediately coming into view. Gray eyes scanned the room in search of his kitten and Eren immediately bolted up from his position, running over to Levi with his head down as sobs escaped his lips. The shocked raven didn't seem to be sure what to do, hesitant arms opening for his kitten just as Eren wrapped himself around Levi's leg, clinging to it and burying his face in the man's thigh. 

"E-Eren-" he stammered in surprise, looking around in search of Ilse, but she was no where to be seen. Maybe she was in the bathroom? "Eren.." Levi tried to pry the kitten away from his leg to look at him, but Eren refused to loosen his grip. Levi simply sighed, hand coming to rest on eren's head. "Bad day, huh..?" He murmured, trying to hide the guilt in his voice. He knew Eren wouldn't like this...What was he thinking, sending Eren to a strange place without Levi there? Eren just...wasn't ready. It was selfish of Levi to think he was. "Alright...calm down, Bear, calm down. We'll go home now," Levi mumbled, slowly sliding down onto one knee so he could pick Eren up, the kitten immediately moving his face from Levi's thigh to his neck, arms wrapping tightly around him. Levi did his best to hold Eren comfortingly as he stood up, one hand running through Eren's hair. 

"Where's your bag, Bear?" Levi murmured, looking around before he spotted it near the entrance to the kitchen. Ilse wasn't in the kitchen, either...Long bathroom break, he supposed. It wasn't any of his business. 

Eren was thankful, of course, that Ilse wasn't around. He knew she would tell Levi what happened and embarrass him in front of everybody, including Jean. Of course, Levi was going to find out sooner or later..He hadn't even seen the bruises on Eren's face yet. Eren knew because Levi wouldn't ignore something like that. If Levi saw the bruises here, there would be a huge shitstorm. Eren just hid his face in Levi's neck as best as he could as the man carried him out. 

Levi strapped the bag to his horse, still carefully holding Eren with one arm before he mounted. He settled himself on the steed, wrapping his cape around Eren to help secure him as he snapped the reins, taking off at a steady trot towards the base. He didn't say anything besides comforting words, cheek pressed against the top of Eren's head as he let the kitten cry himself out. He was sure Eren had been scared to be by himself, after all, Levi knew better than anybody how hard socializing could be. It just wasn't the right time for Eren, Levi felt like he should've known that. He should've. He was Eren's mate, his protector. And He'd failed miserably at it. 

He decided not to press the kitten too much to talk on the way home. He figured Eren just needed some quiet comfort, which seemed to be working since he quieted down quite easily, but he still refused to look at the man. Levi simply sighed, holding Eren as close as he could without squashing him. He supposed Eren would be clingy for a while now..But he wouldn't mind it. It was hard not having Eren within arm's length at all times..

Once they'd reached the base, Levi dismounted the horse, adjusting Eren a bit in his arms before collecting his bag. It was a lot harder to do this now than it was when Eren was little...The kitten was still so little, but not as little as he used to be. Levi didn't mind it, it just made it a bit harder to hold him while doing some of the things he normally did. Or maybe he was just out of practice? 

Levi stayed silent still, even as he walked down the halls and passed by staring soldiers who seemed to sense Eren's distress. Levi didn't care if the soldiers were concerned, his gaze dared anyone to interrupt them..They'd surely be sorry if they said anything. Eren didn't need to be embarrassed any more, and he didn't need any distractions. 

Levi opened the door to their room, sighing once they were inside. He dropped Eren's bag by the door without really caring, for once. He was tired, and he wanted to make sure Eren was alright. He didn't want Eren to be nervous or worry about having to go back to that place. Levi wouldn't make Eren go back if he didn't want to. 

He sat down on their small brown couch, Eren seated in his lap. "You want to tell me why you're so upset?" Levi asked, but Eren immediately shook his head, face brushing against Levi's neck. "Eren..come on, look at me," Levi requested, gently trying to pull Eren away just enough to meet his eyes. 

"No-" Eren whimpered, clinging to Levi's neck, but Levi pried Eren's little hands away easily. His gaze fell on Eren's face, emotion shifting from calm and gentle to shocked, concerned, and angry all within a few seconds. 

"Eren-" the man whispered, hand coming up to cup one of the kitten's bruised cheeks. Both cheeks were bruised and puffy, one of his lips just as puffy to match, and his left eye nearly swollen shut. "Eren, oh my god," Levi murmured, shaking his head as he looked over Eren's face. "Eren, who-why didn't you say anything? Eren-" The raven growled in slight panic, quickly lifting the kitten into his arms and carrying him swiftly into the kitchen, setting him down on the counter gently and immediately running a cloth under cool water. He didn't have ice here, only in the base cellar since that was the only place cool enough besides the underground. He'd send someone for ice in a moment, but Eren was his priority right now. He rang out the cloth, placing it gently over Eren's eye, making the kitten whine and flinch. 

Levi didn't even know what to say. How had he not noticed this before? He thought Eren was just being clingy, he hadn't realized he was trying to hide. Was he afraid? Who'd done this? "Eren..Eren, talk to me. What happened?" Levi begged, trying to keep the bite out of his voice. Whoever had done this would be dead by the time Levi was finished with them. 

Eren shook his head, trying to look away in shame. This only prompted Levi to believe the boy was traumatized or in shock. "God-Eren, I'm so sorry," Levi whispered. "You must be-I'm sorry. Was it that lady, did she do this to you?" Levi asked, gripping the kitten by the shoulders firmly, yet gently. He could feel his emotions welling up at the thought. This was his fault, he'd left Eren with some kind of sadist, someone Eren had no defense against.. 

"I..mmhg..fight.." Eren mumbled, words jumbled and barely audible, so Levi turned the kitten's face toward him. 

"What?" He asked, shaking his head. Eren's lip was probably bothering him..

"I got in a fight," Eren spoke more clearly, eyes averted away from Levi's as his nails nervously dug into his palms. "With some other kitten.." 

Levi straightened in surprise, letting go of Eren's shoulders. Had he heard correctly? "You..were attacked by another kitten?"

"No, I  **fought** him," Eren growled. "I did it. I participated in it. I hit him, too." 

"You...fought with someone..." Levi repeated blankly, staring at the brunette before him. "Eren.."

"I deserve a lecture, a punishment, just- whatever, just do it," Eren mumbled, arms wrapping around himself. Eren's statement only made Levi more confused. The raven cocked his head, staring at Eren for a few long seconds before he spoke up. 

"Punish you?" Levi murmured. "Eren, I wouldn't..We're a couple now. I'm not your caretaker anymore, I wouldn't...would a husband and wife punish each other, ground each other or put them in time out? Eren-" The man nearly laughed. "Eren, I don't punish you anymore. Even when you do something wrong, we'll just talk about it.." Levi tried to explain. "And whatever...happened, I'm sure you have an explanation," the stormy eyed man said. "Fighting..it's stupid, and I'm sure you know that now, but I'd like you to explain to me what happened, at least.." He picked the kitten up again, carrying him back to the couch to seat him on his lap. Eren stared up at him with his one uncovered eye, a look of confusion ghosting his face. 

"You're not mad?" Eren asked, biting his bottom lip. 

"I'm not happy, I can tell you that..." Levi murmured. "You could've ended up a lot worse off than you are now.." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "But mad? No..I couldn't be mad at you for this, unless it was some kind of fight over who's the prettiest." 

"I am, that kid looked like a horse," Eren murmured, a slight whine to his voice as he rested his forehead against Levi's collarbone. The older man simply smirked, running a hand through Eren's hair. 

"So, you thought this kid looked like a horse, and you punched him in the face?" Levi questioned, slight sarcasm in his voice. Eren sloppily hit his arm before turning serious once more. 

"He...said you wouldn't come back for me," Eren spoke quietly, sinking against Levi and sighing. "He said you left me there because you didn't love me anymore. Because of my...issues. He said what happened- was taking too much of a toll on you. And when you didn't come at 3:00, I..I got so worried." The kitten's voice shook as he spoke, and Levi suddenly tensed, entirely surprised by Eren's words.

"Eren...I...how would he know about what you went through? I-" Levi didn't even know what to say. Why would anybody say such awful,  **untrue** things to Eren?

"I..I don't know if he really knew, he might've been bluffing," Eren admitted. "But he just kept saying you weren't coming back for me, that you didn't want me anymore, no matter how many times I told him you'd never leave me..He just kept saying he knew about-about the miscarriage, that you didn't want me anymore because of it." Eren was growing teary at the thought, which made Levi hold him tighter. 

"Eren...I would never...I didn't tell anyone at that place about what happened. I'm so sorry I was late, I lost track of the time, and..He had no right to say such things to you, none of them are true," Levi assured the kitten. "You're my entire world, Eren...I would never, ever leave you there. I would never give you away, no matter what. You're mine, and only mine. Nobody else can have you, not unless you...decide you want them. I wouldn't let you go without a fight," Levi whispered. The thought of Eren leaving **him** made him nervous, so he couldn't even imagine how Eren felt. "I could never leave you...especially not because of what happened. That wasn't your fault...It's not something you should have on your shoulders. Eren, if you never wanted to have children with me, or you never could have children with me, I would still stay with you. I made that decision long ago," Levi admitted. "All I want is to be with you. Going through hard times won't make me want you any less," Levi whispered sincerely, rubbing Eren's back as his cheek rested on top of his head. "Whatever happened...that asshole deserved what he got. I would have fought him too, Eren."

"R-really?" Eren whispered, sniffling and wiping at his eyes. He hadn't realized Levi loved him that much...Of course, he knew Levi loved him, but even if they couldn't have children, Levi would stay? "You really feel that way? And you-you're not mad that I hit Jean?"

"Jean's his name, huh?" Levi murmured. "If he wasn't so much smaller than me, I would go hit him myself. Of course, I wouldn't be so unfair.." Levi murmured. "But of course I meant every word I said, Eren. If you never wanted to have sex with me, if you didn't want me to take you during your heat, if you never even wanted me to hug you again, I'd accept that," Levi whispered. "Though that last one..I'd definitely fight for. But no matter what, Eren, I want to keep you. No matter what sacrifices I have to make." Levi turned Eren's face toward him, gently pressing his forehead against the kitten's. 

Eren closed his eyes, taking shaky breaths as Levi held him close. "You really mean all that, huh?" Eren whispered shakily, a smile forming on his lips. And of course, Levi nodded. Eren laughed through his tears, wiping at his eyes while being sure to be cautious of the injured one. "I didn't know you felt that way.."

"Maybe I should express it more," Levi admitted with a sigh. "I..I've always felt that way, I always will. I'm sorry that I'm not the best at showing it.." Levi murmured, pulling his forehead away from Eren's. "I promise you, I love you no matter what happens, Bear."

"I..I love you too," Eren replied, voice nearly breaking. "I'm glad I fought Jean, he deserved to get hit.."

"I'm sure he did, but.." Levi looked over Eren again. "I'd really prefer if you didn't fight with people bigger than you."

"H-how do you know he's bigger than me?" Eren asked, pouting as Levi ran his thumb along the kitten's bruised cheek.

"Trust me, Eren...I know you. And I know what you think you can handle, just...leave the big guys to me, alright?" Levi murmured, leaning into press a kiss to Eren's forehead. The kitten whined, trying to pull away, but Levi held him still. 

"You're so mean to me, Levi, I can handle anyone!" Eren defended as he squirmed, and Levi couldn't help but smile.

"I know you can, Bear. I know it."

* * *

 

"Eren-" Levi stammered, trying to push away the paper Eren was shoving in his face. He'd only just gotten home from work, he didn't even have a second to take off his gear before Eren was practically jumping on him. Eren had asked to stay in their room alone today instead of be with Armin, and Levi had absolutely no clue why. Maybe Eren was just tired. Well, he seemed full of energy now.. "Eren, god-come on, just give me a second to-"

"Levy! Levy look, you promised! You promised today!" Eren cried, practically smacking Levi in the face with the paper as he struggled to climb up the man's body. 

"Eren!" Levi growled, stumbling and falling back onto the couch, Eren on his chest. He breathed heavily, brows furrowed in irritation. "What the hell is it?" 

Eren waved the paper until Levi snatched it from his grasp. Gray eyes searched over the worn paper, where a hand written calendar seemed to have been drawn. Each day was crossed off, except today. "Eren, what is..?" It took a second for the realization to hit Levi, but he now noticed the calendar was only two weeks. Two weeks from the date Levi took Eren to the neko shelter. 

"You promised me," Eren whimpered. "Today. Today is two weeks from when you promised." He looked at Levi with hopeful eyes, and Levi couldn't help but push away his irritation at Eren's actions. 

"Bear.." Levi sighed, sitting up a bit and scooting Eren properly into his lap. "Y-you're right, I did promise you today.." Levi admitted. He'd completely forgotten his promise to give Eren a baby in two weeks. The two weeks seemed to fly by so fast..

"Don't tell me you'll go back on your promise, don't tell me that," Eren begged desperately. "I've been waiting so patiently, I haven't even asked you for any earlier..you promised two weeks, it's been two weeks.."

"I.." Levi ran a hand through his hair, sighing deeply. "I know you have, you've been so patient...I...but are you sure you're ready for this?" Levi asked, pushing Eren's cookie brown hair back and away from his face so he could see those bright green eyes. 

"Yes! Yes-I promise I'm ready, I promise," Eren insisted eagerly. Of course Levi believed him, and he wanted to make Eren's dreams come true, but was Levi himself ready? He wasn't so sure...Of course, he wanted a baby, but he wasn't exactly ready for Eren to be pregnant again. The loss they faced, the toll it took on them, the fact he almost lost  **Eren** because of it. He wasn't sure if he was ready to take that risk. He didn't want to lose any more pregnancies, he didn't want to lose his Eren. He wouldn't admit it, but he was scared. 

"Are you..sure? Eren, I...You could be in danger because of this, I don't...Maybe you're not ready.." Levi protested. 

"I just said I'm ready!" Eren defended, desperately gripping at Levi's hands, squirming in his lap frustratedly. "I-I know the risks, I know what can happen now, but I'm willing to go through with it. I want a baby, I want  **your** baby," Eren begged. Levi shivered at the words, gently squeezing Eren's hands back. He wanted Eren to have his baby, too. Eren looked so determined, so brave..He knew Eren was strong enough to do this. Maybe he just had to stop being so overprotective of his kitten, but he just couldn't help it. 

"Alright," Levi finally whispered after a few moments of silence. "Alright, Eren. I want a baby too, I know you can do this," he said to the kitten in his lap interlacing his fingers with much, much smaller ones. He really did know that Eren could do this. They would be strong, no matter what came their way. 

"Really?" Eren asked, leaning forward with teary eyes. He honestly had thought Levi would go back on his promise, that maybe Levi had changed his mind, but...Levi believed in him. Levi trusted him.

Levi didn't reply, leaning forward the rest of the way to press his lips to Eren's firmly, his hands coming up to cup the back of Eren's head. The kitten took the kiss as answer enough, his arms wrapping around Levi's neck as he pressed himself against the man desperately. Eren was still in his pajamas, his pink, ruffled nightgown riding up along his thighs as Levi's hands slid down the kitten's back, desperate hands gripping and bunching up the fabric of his mate's gown. The same desperate hands made their way down to Eren's bare thighs, just below his barely covered buttocks. The warm, soft flesh was easily squeezed into Levi's firm grip, fingers massaging the inside of Eren's thighs as their lips still smacked together intensely. 

Levi's tongue easily found it's way into Eren's mouth, the beautiful brunette's soft lips parting just enough for Levi to do what he pleased. He'd almost forgotten how good at kissing Eren was, his mouth so warm and soft, lips and tongue moving gently against Levi's own as he let the older lead the way. It was absolutely perfect in every way possible.

His Eren was perfect in every way possible. 

He was suddenly standing with Eren in his arms, the omega's legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck. Levi's hands stayed under Eren's ass, holding him up and still groping at that sweet flesh as he made his way to their bed. He dropped Eren into the pillows, the kitten bouncing a bit as he landed, but Levi was quick to be on top of him.

Eren took gasping breaths through kiss swollen lips, opening his mouth again to allow Levi entrance, which Levi didn't hesitate to accept. The man's cool, yet clammy hand slid up Eren's thigh and to the hem of his underwear, only taking a few moments to rub tentatively at Eren's hip bone and give the elastic band in his panties a little snap. Eren gasped into the kiss, surprised by the tease Levi pleasured him with. He couldn't even say anything before Levi's hand was rubbing up and down his side and chest, making the kitten shiver and let out a timid mew against Levi's lips. This made the man smirk, his fingers grazing along the perky, pearly rosebuds beneath Eren's gown to make the omega kitten mewl louder in pleasure. It was music to Levi's ears. 

He broke the kiss, panting as his gaze shifted from Eren's eyes down to his slender body, his nimble fingers pulling up the nightgown to reveal soft, tanned flesh that was only for Levi's eyes to see, only for Levi's hands to touch. It made the man's chest swell with pride at the thought. He leaned down, lips pressing up against Eren's soft, flat belly as he pressed gentle kisses there to make the kitten blush and squirm before his lips had moved up to Eren's chest. He couldn't help but kiss every inch of this little kitten's body, he couldn't help but show how much he loved the boy. 

He moved his kisses up to one of Eren's nipples, suckling the ripe little cherry into his mouth immediately, humming around the warm flesh as Eren let out a tiny moan he'd been trying to hold back. "L-Levi!-" he whimpered, hands fisting into the sheets, tugging at them as Levi's tongue swirled around his sensitive nipple. Levi made sure to give the two little buds equal attention, switching back and forth from the left and right to make them both redder and plumper than they already were. Levi didn't stop until he was satisfied. Eren was begging him for more by that point, urging the man to touch him where he needed it most. 

"Shh..I know, I know. Be patient," Levi hushed Eren, pushing back damp strands of chestnut hair from the boy's forehead, his tired, but skilled lips coming down on Eren's neck to suck and gently bite at the delicate flesh, marking Eren's skin with hickeys as his hands came down to Eren's hips. His skilled fingers hooked beneath the waistband of Eren's silky white underwear, sliding them down to the kitten's quaking ankles. "You're so beautiful," Levi whispered with complete honesty as he looked down at the kitten's nearly bare body, a smile threatening to form on his thin lips. He felt so lucky to have Eren, he couldn't even explain it.. 

Eren blushed at the comment, turning his face away to try and avoid the embarrassment he faced. Levi was the most attractive man he'd ever seen, and he was calling  **Eren** , of all people, beautiful. "Why do you say such lies?" Eren couldn't help but giggle, looking back at the man above him. 

"Because it's not a lie, I mean every word of it," Levi replied seriously, taking a moment to scratch behind Eren's ears and make him purr before his hand was sliding between Eren's legs. Once his hand reached the rim of that round little hole below, Levi could already tell Eren was wet, practically  **dripping** with lust for his alpha. His pointer finger circled the damp ring, slowly slipping in to the first knuckle, which made Eren gasp, hands moving from the sheets to Levi's shoulders as he tried to accept the feeling of intrusion. He hadn't felt this since his heat, and he actually didn't know what it felt like  **without** being in heat. He was curious, but nervous. He trusted Levi completely, he knew the man would never hurt him. 

"Shh..I know, it's...weird..at first," Levi murmured. He was just lucky omega nekos provided natural lubrication. That made things a lot easier for the both of them. he slid his finger in the rest of the way, having to wiggle it a bit to make it squeeze in all the way. "You're so tight.." He murmured to the kitten, a huskiness to his voice as he spoke. He distracted Eren by placing kisses everywhere he could reach, meanwhile his finger made its way in and out of Eren's slowly loosening hole. The kitten was gasping and squirming, nearly moaning, but not quite since Levi hadn't hit that special spot yet. 

He couldn't reach it until he inserted a second finger, thrusting the digits upwards until he heard Eren cry out, his toes immediately curling and fingers tensing into Levi's shirt. The raven smirked, continuing his motions over and over again, enjoying Eren's desperate cries and moans, the kitten brokenly pleading for more. 

"Trust me, you'll get more soon," the man assured his kitten. He wasn't sure how much longer he could resist this beautiful boy, especially once Eren began pleading specifically for sex with Levi. 

"Put it in-put it in," the neko whimpered, green eyes teary with desperation. "I need you, I need it so bad-" he panted, chest heaving as he let out another shaky moan of pleasure. Levi pulled his finger out and suddenly pulled the nightgown off Eren the rest of the way, tossing it aside roughly before his hands were digging at his own clothes. He ripped off his shirt, then shaky fingers unbuttoned his pants. He only managed to pull them down just enough for his eager cock to spring out, unable to resist Eren for even a moment longer. He hovered over the boy, breathing shakily as he lined himself up. Eren's legs spread as far as they could, the kitten's hips rolling and rutting with anticipation as Levi's head pressed into his hole.

The two groaned in pleasure simultaneously as Levi pressed his shaft pressed into that slick, sweet hole, going all the way until it couldn't reach any further. Levi was just the right size, honestly, if he was any bigger, Eren would be uncomfortable. The kitten was already having a hard time handling all of Levi, his back arched up and his legs shaking as strained noises of overwhelmingness escaped him. He was filled up as much as he possibly could be, his hips straining against the satisfying, yet slightly painful pressure. 

But mostly satisfying. 

"M-move-" Eren whimpered, panting intensely as he looked up at Levi with shaking pupils, trying to catch his breath simply from Levi's entrance. The raven haired man obeyed immediately, slowly pulling out, arms shaking beneath his own weight as he focused on not losing control. Eren still hadn't done this many times yet, Levi still needed to be cautious. And he wasn't sure if Eren could be hurt internally from the miscarriage, though he hoped everything had healed by now. He pulled out almost all the way to the tip before he was pushing back in again. "Gh-hah-" Eren panted before he was letting out a moan, body shaking with pleasure as he adjusted to Levi's cock within him. "Oh-Levi-Levy," the kitten whimpered. "Faster."

That was probably the best thing Levi'd heard all day. He let out a breath of relief, sweat dripping from his forehead and onto Eren's smooth chest as he began to thrust at a steady pace, causing the man to finally let out a deep moan of his own to match Eren's higher pitched ones. 

"God-Levy-!" Eren cried out in bliss as the man rammed into his sweet spot over, and over, and over again. It felt so damn good, Eren couldn't control any of the noises that escaped him or the way his body shivered and jerked with pleasure. 

Levi was having a hard time keeping himself together as well, though he was much better at containing it. He was lucky he was so strong, or else he would've collapsed on top of Eren by now, his arms were shaking so badly from the pleasure. In a way, this was even better than Eren's heat. The anticipation, the foreplay, the fact that Eren was turned on by Levi, and not just his heat. This made Levi sure that Eren actually wanted Levi, was attracted to him in at least some way. Though he was sure Eren could never be as attracted to him as he was to Eren...That would be impossible. 

Levi thrusted as hard as he found Eren could handle, breathy whispers of affection escaping his lips between moans and grunts. "God-I love you-" he whispered, but Eren couldn't even reply. He was too deep into his bliss. He felt like this was a dream, he felt so warm and so pleasured..It wasn't even fair that Levi could make him feel so good. 

"God, you-I'm already so close-" Levi stammered in reply, biting down on his bottom lip as he thrusted, eyes squeezed shut with concentration. Only Eren could make Levi want to cum so quickly, only Eren had such control over Levi. He reached down, struggling to balance himself on one hand as he took Eren's little shaft in his free hand, beginning to jerk it quickly, thumb grazing the wet tip to encourage Eren's little cock to release whatever small amount of seed it could manage to contain. 

"Fuck..Fuck.." Levi growled, gritting his teeth as he thrusted into Eren a bit harder, shaky hand still spoiling his cock. "Cum for me, baby, come on," Levi panted. 

"hn-yes, yes-" Eren begged, eyes teary as he felt his climax coming on. He let out a strangled cry, toes curling, back arching and head pressing back into the pillows as he felt his white hot cum spill out into Levi's hand and dribble into his own belly button. His body jerked and shuddered as he came, dull nails digging into Levi's pale skin as sweet relief reached him. Eren's climax quickly set Levi over the edge, the man unable to contain himself any longer as he moaned Eren's name and thrusted in one last time, cumming fast and hard deep within his beloved. He dropped onto his elbows, chest lightly pressing against Eren's as the two rode out their pleasurable orgasms. 

Eren could feel Levi's warm seed filling him and he whimpered in content, legs wrapping around Levi's back. He realized this,  **this** could possibly be the moment they create a baby, a little life inside of him. 

It was all that was left to complete their little family.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen here chapter 83 Levi you piece of shit I know you want Erwin's dick but stop being so SELFISH, yOU PROMISED EREN
> 
> But anyway, just wanted to let you guys know I wasn't trying to make Jean a dick in this chapter..I mean..he is a dick, but let's be honest, if you were a neko abandoned by your 'owner' wouldn't you be jealous of Eren for having someone like Levi, too?
> 
> also...I just reread the chapter where I made Eren have a miscarriage and I...I'm a monster.  
> Omg, I almost cried, it was so sad..I'm so sorry...Why do I like to make the ones I love suffer?
> 
> Eren's nightgown -http://www.idreammart.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/2/1/21364002_1.jpg


	25. The Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so...I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. 
> 
> BASICALLY what happened was, I got my wisdom teeth out and so I missed an update while recovering because I didn't finish the chapter in time. 
> 
> THEN once I finally recovered, I had so much shit to make up, I missed another update...
> 
> THEN I FINALLY STARTED WORKING ON THIS and...I got writer's block. bad. And I was going to update yesterday, but some stuff came up and I got a last minute job interview and I had to run out and get some dress shoes.... (that's right, I don't ever have dress shoes..) and so yeah I didn't update until today, but I still had writer's block and this chapter is just weird and yeah. 
> 
> Enjoy this short, shitty chapter. :( sorry

"I'm sorry, Eren," Dr. Rusele murmured, removing his chilled hands from Eren's flat stomach. "I don't believe it took." 

"W-what do you mean, it didn't take?" Eren asked desperately, propping himself up on his elbows. "Ch-check again, it had to have! We've done it every day this week," Eren said, shaking his head in denial. 

"Eren.." Levi growled, putting a hand on the kitten's shoulder as his free hand came to rub the bridge of his nose. 

"N-no..This isn't.. **please** , it had to have taken..I have to be pregnant," Eren begged the doctor before him, looking up at him with big, round eyes that were beginning to become glassy. Levi sighed, his irritation quickly being displaced by sympathy. 

"Eren.." He sighed, rubbing the boy's shoulder. "He can check however many times you want, but that won't change the way things are.." Levi said softly to the kitten, catching his green eyes with his own. 

"No..yes it can.." Eren whimpered as he looked into Levi's eyes, facial expression becoming more and more desperate by the second. 

"I'm sorry that this hasn't worked out the way you planned, but it's still quite early. This is only your first try after your heat, after all, and your body may take some time to adjust to all of this. All I can tell you is to keep trying," Dr. Rusele sighed as he took off his glasses to wipe them on his white button up. "You're fertile, Eren. We already know that much, so you should be able to conceive again. It's unlikely that you won't get pregnant if you've already gotten pregnant so soon." 

"W-what do you mean by that?" Eren asked in confusion. 

"I mean...what I said. You've already gotten pregnant, you probably won't have much trouble getting pregnant again." 

"He's right, Eren," Levi sighed, rubbing his back. "The pregnancy...It was your first heat and you happened to get pregnant, probably a lot of kittens lose their first babies. You got pregnant easily, we can manage again, hm?" Levi tried to persuade the upset kitten. He wasn't exactly into this whole 'trying' for a baby thing. A baby was just supposed to happen naturally. They'd have sex when they wanted to, and if they had a baby from it, then so be it. Levi didn't really like the fact Eren had sex with him just for a baby, but..It wasn't like he could say no.   
  
"I..I guess so.." Eren whimpered, biting his bottom lip as he held back tears. 

"I'll give you two a few moments alone. Just keep trying and come back again in two weeks or so, alright?" Dr. Rusele suggested, and Levi gave the man a silent nod. Dr. Rusele exited the room, closing the white curtain behind him. It didn't seem like much privacy, but nobody was in any of the other curtained rooms around them. Nobody was here for simple examinations, nobody else here was  **trying** to get pregnant. Of course no soldiers wanted to get pregnant at a time like this...They knew the horrors outside the walls. This world was no place for a child.

But of course, Eren couldn't help wanting one. And Levi...he couldn't help it, either. He could most likely go without having children if need be, after all, the only reason he wanted children in the first place was because of Eren. He didn't see any point in having children with anyone else.   
  
But he couldn't deny the kitten anything he wished for, even if it meant trying for babies that Levi was terrified to have, and getting pregnant with them in a way that Levi found just utterly strange. He couldn't do anything but he there for Eren, no matter how strange his requests. 

"You...alright?" Levi asked quietly, looking over at the kitten's saddened face and giving his tiny hand another squeeze, but Eren slowly shook his head. 

"No..No, I'm not. How could I be?" Eren asked quietly, voice shaky. Levi nodded in understanding, brushing Eren's bangs away from his glassy Caribbean eyes. 

"I know..I know, but it'll be alright. It'll happen soon, Eren, you just have to be patient. I know you don't want to be patient, but there's nothing else we can do. Trust me, if I could just magically...snap my fingers and have a baby, I would do that. But unfortunately, until I figure that out, we'll just have to do things the old fashioned way.." Levi nuzzled his nose against Eren's temple, lips pressing gently to the boy's rosy cheek. Like he'd hoped for, a small smile briefly ghosted Eren's lips. 

"Well, you'd..you'd better work on that magic trick," Eren sniffled, wiping at the unshed tears that had welled up in the corners of his eyes. "I'm getting older just sitting here.." 

"Oh, stop it. You're 1/29th my age, you brat.." Levi growled playfully, pinching Eren's side and making the kitten laugh. 

"You are  **not** 29\. You're not fooling anyone, Levi Ackerman," the kitten giggled, covering his mouth as Levi scoffed in fake annoyance. 

"You're supposed to tell me I look young for my age, that I'm still as fit and beautiful as I once was in my youth.." Levi reminded as he gathered Eren up into his arms, the kitten unable to argue Levi carrying him. 

"Mh...I'll work on my acting skills for next time, I promise," Eren said quietly in Levi's ear, tone light and airy again. Levi was right..This wasn't the end of the world. They had time, and plenty of it. After all, Eren was still young. And Levi was...young  **enough** , which was all that mattered. As long as he still had his hair, Eren would be alright..

"Whatever," Levi murmured, lips close to Eren's soft, speckled ear. He held the warm kitten close to him, breath tickling and twirling the light cappuccino strands upon Eren's head. A flood of relief rushed through his chest, the avoidance of Eren's breakdown something Levi prided himself upon. He's managed to comfort Eren in the right way and keep him positive, despite his own sadness involved. He couldn't wait to see Eren with a little swell of life beneath his shirt and to see Eren full of life again; he couldn't wait for the sunshine to peek out from behind the clouds. But for now, Levi had to be Eren's sunshine, and he didn't mind it. He'd be here for whatever Eren needed, and he only hoped he could keep Eren's face from being tear streaked unless it was from tears of joy. 

* * *

 

Weeks passed by, slowly, but surely. Levi was, indeed, slacking off at work still. But he couldn't help himself, after all, Eren was his priority. And Erwin understood that completely. Armin was starting to show by now, and of course, Erwin was taking time off to spend with his kitten as well. 

Whether Levi was with Eren or not, he was giving the kitten things to do. They reorganized the bookshelves, the cupboards, the closet, really anything. He kept Eren busy each and every day. And even though it wasn't needed, Levi let Eren sweep the floor one evening simply because he was amused with how the kitten clumsily moved with the oversized broom that towered over him like a maple tree. Size was never a factor for Eren. Levi'd said it many times and he wouldn't hesitate to say it again; Eren would make a fine soldier. If he wasn't a neko, he'd really be perfect for the job. He was passionate, strong, smart, obedient and yet independent. He'd have been perfect. 

Of course, Levi never would have allowed such a thing. If he was with Eren even if the boy was human, which wasn't exactly looked nicely upon, he wouldn't have allowed Eren to become a soldier. Eren was too precious, too innocent and passionate about the world. Levi would never allow Eren to ruin that and face the horrors of being a soldier. He'd never let Eren outside the walls, not until the titans were gone. 

But in reality, if Eren was a human boy and wanted to become a soldier; Levi probably wouldn't be able to stop him. Damn kid was too passionate about  _everything._

A knock on the door prompted Levi to take the broom from the kitten and lean it against the wall. "Could you get us something to drink, Bear?" Levi asked, and Eren nodded. 

"Of course. Will lemonade do?" Eren asked, and Levi gave a nod before striding to the door, opening it without bothering to look through the peephole. 

"Jinn, what are you doing here?" Levi asked, crossing his arms and glaring at his squad member for interrupting one of his personal days. 

"Sir, there's a meeting going on downstairs. The commander told me you were informed about it weeks ago," Eld explained, looking at the captain expectantly. Levi paused for a moment, staring at Eld as if he'd just insulted him to cover up the fact he was cursing himself internally. He  **was** notified about this weeks ago. And he was sent a messenger to remind him yesterday, and yet it still completely blew by him. He felt like he wasn't seeing a lot of his squad lately, and that was because, well, he'd been skipping out on almost everything. Meetings, training, lunches. His time had been solely focused on Eren, and of course he had some leeway because of what happened, but obviously the higher ups wouldn't put up with Levi's slacking for much longer. And probably neither would his squad. 

"Mh..fuck, alright. Have they started without me?" Levi questioned, grabbing his jacket off the hook and slipping it on his shoulders. 

"No, sir, they held the meeting because your presence is required. They sent me here while they send Aluo to the training grounds in case you were there. It started at 4:30-"

"Well, dammit, Erd. It's nearly 5:45," Levi growled, collecting any paperwork that he...hadn't really bothered to do. But he'd done some of it, to be fair, so hopefully the parts he didn't do weren't important. 

"My apologies, sir," Erd sighed, scratching the back of his head and leaning against the door frame as Eren peeked around the counter, two glasses of lemonade in the crooks of his arms and curled against his chest since his hands were too small to hold them. 

"Eren," Levi spoke to the confused boy. "Get your shoes, we've got to run to an emergency meeting." 

"Uh-" Erd quickly straightened. "Sir, I-" 

"Make sure you bring a jacket, I don't know how cold it'll be in there. It's been cold downstairs lately.." Levi began trailing off like a boring dad. 

"Sir," Erd interrupted. "I...I was specifically asked to tell you not to bring Eren with you." 

"What?" Both Eren and Levi asked in unison, Eren's raised in surprise, while Levi's lowered in irritation. 

"Eren cannot enter the meeting room....It's private, sir. That was also in the letter you were given a few weeks ago..." Erd murmured, huffing at the captain's relaxed pace. 

"What do you mean, Eren isn't allowed in there?" Levi growled. Sometimes Erwin requested Levi leave Eren with Armin or somewhere else because of the nature of their discussion, but he'd never been told before that Eren wasn't  **allowed** at a meeting. This definitely wasn't Erwin's doing. 

"I don't know what to say, sir.. I'm sorry, I-"

"What-whatever, just.." Levi huffed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Now I have to find a place for him to go." 

"Levi?" Eren spoke up. "Uhm. I..I can just stay here, you know. I have before.." Eren spoke, shrugging slightly as he still held tightly to the lemonade. 

"I..right..." Levi murmured quietly, narrowing his eyes at Eren. "You're telling me...you'll be fine here..by yourself. For hours." Levi crossed his arms. 

"That's what I just said, Levi," Eren huffed. "I'll just stay here, and I know where to find certain people if I need them." 

"Well what if you need  **me**?" Levi asked, as though it was obvious. 

"I...don't?" Eren said questionably. "I won't need you. Why would I need you? It's just a few hours," Eren said. "I can handle sitting on the couch and reading a book by myself." 

"Captain, we really have to go.." Erd spoke, shifting anxiously. He obviously didn't want to be grilled by the higher ups for taking so long. 

Levi stared at Eren for a good twenty seconds, tongue tingling as no words came to his mouth. He didn't even seem to hear Erd. Eren didn't  **need** him. Eren just said he didn't need him. No- he was reading too much into this. Eren was right, he didn't need Levi for a couple of hours.. He'd be fine. He didn't  **need** Levi, the man who provided him constant love and care. Levi could just be thrown away and Eren wouldn't  **need** him. 

Levi finally looked away, rubbing his brow and snapping out of his dramatic monologue. "I...You're right, you'll be fine by yourself for a couple hours," Levi gave in, walking over to the brunette and leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "I..I've got to go. You know where I'll be if you need me. I don't care  **what** you need, even if it's something little, come get me," Levi demanded, cupping Eren's chin before turning on his heel to join the relieved Erd. "Lock the door behind me," he requested of Eren, watching the kitten carefully as he closed the door shut behind him. Eren didn't need him, right? 

"So, what the hell is all of this about?" Levi murmured, walking in step with Erd as they headed down to the conference hall, unimportant faces going by in blurs as they passed other soldiers. 

"What else would it be about? The war," Erd sighed. "Sir, Darius Zackley is here. It's serious," Erd explained to the captain, a grim look upon his face. "I believe they're considering doing some negotiations soon.." 

"Negotiations? Theres no negotiating with those Sina assholes," Levi growled as he pushed open the doors to the meeting room, located in the basement. As soon as the doors swung open, all eyes were on them. There were people gathered around, Darius Zackley at a raised podium in the front, Erwin to one side of him, and several other important officials located on his other side. This seemed more like a court meeting with Zackley as the judge, rather than a meeting. Levi knew no one would listen to anyone who didn't have any power, because that's just how it was in the real world. If you weren't rich, you weren't worth hearing. 

"Ah, Captain Ackerman, so nice of you to show up," Zackley replied sarcastically, straightening his glasses. "You've only put the meeting behind...what, an hour?" 

"I-" Levi cut off his smart ass remark, catching Erwin's firm and scolding fatherly look. He cleared his throat, looking at the gray haired man he was slowly approaching. "My apologies, sir. I had some business to take care of that I found was much more  **important**." Alright, he wasn't great at being polite, but this was as good as he'd get. "I'll...take my seat now, so we can begin." 

"That sounds like your first smart decision all day," Zackley replied, and Erwin had to grab Levi's arm and tug him into the seat next to him to keep the man from replying. They couldn't afford for Levi to murder Zackley at a time like this. Levi grunted, glaring up at Zackley before averting his gaze to the floor. "Now that we've begun, we're here to begin the meeting..several representatives of Sina are here," Zackley said, nodding to a few unknown men sitting on the far left of Zackley. Of course, Nile Dock himself hadn't showed up. Levi wasn't even sure why Zackley was here as a "neutral," as he  **obviously** sided with Sina. "I'm not sure what could've possibly been more important to Ackerman than the fate of humanity..." 

"A cat, sir," a young military police soldier spoke out of turn, and a few people snickered. Obviously no one from the Scouts, though. "He's been busy watching his cat." 

"A  _cat_ _?_ " Zackley asked in disbelief, looking at Levi. 

"He...he's not a cat," Levi growled. "He's a person." 

"It's a neko, sir," the same young soldier from before spoke. "Which is a cat." 

"Sounds like a cat to me," Zackley agreed. "Smith, you haven't thought to take the poor animal away from the Captain?" 

Erwin's fingers twitched as he looked up at Zackley, the man doing quite well at hiding his anger. "I...did speak to Le-Captain Ackerman about his...neko...when the... _cat_..." Erwin grimaced at the words... "First came to the base, but-" 

"Smith has one too, sir," one of the Military Police bastard sergeants spoke. "I seen it in town with him." 

"You  _both_ have cats? What is it with you Scouts?" Zackley asked in disgust. "We're in the middle of a damn war, for crying out loud." 

"Eren is not a-!" Erwin grabbed Levi's shoulder quickly, cutting the raven man off. 

"Yes, you're right. Silly us, it's really...a shame...what we waste our time with," Erwin spoke, Adams Apple quivering as he did so. It nearly pained the man to say those words, calling his own Armin _useless_ , but he had to. He couldn't defend his kitten when they  **needed** this war to be resolved. Levi had to understand that, too. Levi simply let out another low growl, scowling at Erwin, despite the fact he knew Erwin was saving their asses. 

"Mh..I'm glad you recognize that. Shall we begin?" Zackley asked, and Erwin saluted to the man. Zackley looked at Levi, and of course, the man only gave a curt nod. 

The raven sat there for hours, listening to everyone drone on and on about the war, about solutions, about who was to blame...It just went on and on, for hours and hours. Levi was already irritated by Zackley, it just irritated him even more that more and more of his time was being wasted. All anyone was doing was pointing fingers and arguing, nobody making compromises or truces. It was just a mess. 

It made Levi think that there may not even be a possibility of resolving things peacefully. Nobody was willing to get along, nobody was willing to not have the power they wanted. They were all greedy pigs, that's for sure. He just wished they could suck it the hell up so he wouldn't have to deal with this, so that he could spend more time with Eren. He wanted to make this world safe for Eren and whatever future children they have. Why were people fighting each other, when there were monsters outside the walls to fight? It was ridiculous. This war had already taken Eren's mother from him, and even though it was a blessing that Levi found Eren...It still...wasn't supposed to be that way. No child was supposed to lose their mother, it just wasn't right..It was too painful. Levi knew that better than anyone. 

"Captain Ackerman," a voice spoke, snapping Levi out of his thoughts. "Please step forward and read aloud your report of issue 186," the voice requested. Levi looked around the room until he spotted a disheveled Military Police soldier speaking, just barely sobered up enough for the meeting. 

Levi hesitated, standing with empty hands. He snatched Erwin's paperwork from his lap, shuffling through it, but there was nothing about whatever the hell "issue 186" was. He dropped the paperwork on Erwin's lap once more, walking forward confidently, despite the fact he was completely unprepared. 

"Issue 186 is...in my opinion, not worth a report. It's completely useless," Levi snapped, and he immediately caught Erwin rubbing the bridge of his nose in frustration. 

"You don't believe in having more horses for the Scouts?" Zackley asked in confusion, narrowing his eyes. "Tell me why." 

They were...short on horses. Fuck, Levi had screwed this up. Of course he had... 

"I...think they're...disgusting animals.." Levi murmured, scratching the back of his head. "Though, necessary for our Scouts. We should be given even more horses than we requested..." 

"Captain, did you even  **read** about issue 186?" Zackley asked, narrowing his eyes. "Did you even file a report?" 

"These issues...the numbers...they're labeled with, are really unnecessary... I get them all mixed up. You expect me to do everything around here? Tch.." Levi scoffed, crossing his arms to hide the massive word ' **shame** ' that might as well be written across his damn chest. 

"Rithger, read to me the last report Captain Ackerman filed," Zackley requested, and Levi cursed internally. The said soldier, Rithger, quickly shuffled through folders of paperwork, finding Levi's rather quickly since the files were organized alphabetically. 

"It was...Issue 154, sir," Rithgers replied, pulling out a piece of paper, standing and rushing to Zackley to deliver to him the paper when the older man motioned for him to do so. Zackley took the paper, shifting his glasses further up on his nose and reading, a frown forming on his face. 

"Captain, this report isn't even  **finished** ," Zackley pointed out, and Levi scratched the back of his head again, simply keeping his cool to avoid getting he and Erwin in more trouble than they'd already gotten themselves into. 

"I'm a busy man.." Levi spoke. "I-"

"This is unacceptable," Zackley cut Levi off. "This meeting has been called to try and end a war, and you can't even bother to fill out reports to help your own team? What kind of captain are you?" Zackley asked. "I'm disappointed..." 

"Sir, Captain Ackerman has been going through some..personal issues.." Erwin spoke, standing. "Please excuse him, I've allowed for him to take as much time as he needs?" 

"Did his cat choke on a hairball?" someone chided, and Levi immediately whipped around to try and catch the culprit. But it was too late, and nearly every man in the room was laughing at him. His fists clenched, a vein popping out in his forehead as he held back the urge to kick their asses. He was humanity's strongest, he was  **never** treated like this by any of the soldiers inside the walls. He used to be respected after he'd made his way to the top. What happened?

"My personal issues  **aren't** up for discussion..." Levi growled lowly, trying desperately to maintain his temper. They didn't know what he'd gone through, what  **Eren** had gone through. Eren wasn't a cat, he was a person, he was everything Levi had. They'd lost something very important to them...If it was any human that had lost their child, everyone would respect their privacy and their grieving. But no, Eren didn't matter to these people because he wasn't like them. He wasn't good enough for them, and it infuriated Levi. 

"When you're a captain for  **our** military and your personal issues prohibit you from doing work, then yes, it's our business," Zackley defended, obviously getting irritated with Levi. 

"Since when are pets personal business? Hey, Smith, don't you have a regulation against this kind of thing? Who're you to break your own rules?" another damn Military Police asked smartly.

"We have rules against pets. These- who we're talking about, both my neko, and the captain's...they're not pets.." Erwin tried to explain, looking up at Zackley. "There's no...rules against them.."  

 "Well, then maybe there should be. I'm going to reevaluate the rule books, and if I find something I don't like...like these  **cats** , then I will  **get rid of it**. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Zackley growled. "Give these cats one month to get out." He smacked his hand on the table, as if in place for a gavel. 

"Sir, you can't-" Erwin tried to reason with the man, but Zackley simply smacked his hand again to cut Erwin off. 

Levi knew there was no reason to argue. He didn't  **need** to deal with this shit. He turned on his heel, storming towards the door. "Levi!" Erwin called after the man, but as soon as Levi stepped out, he was slamming the door behind him. He didn't care about this corporate meeting shit, he didn't care about humanity anymore. Not if Eren couldn't be a part of humanity. 

He'd fight for Eren, he'd find somewhere else for he and Eren to live, but seemingly in Zackley's eyes, he and Erwin were on the edge of treason. This was a mess, a dangerous mess, and no time for he and Eren to have a baby. He'd just have to break the news to Eren that they'd have to wait, no matter how much it hurt the kitten. He'd find a solution soon enough, but for right now, keeping Eren safe was his priority. 

He swung open the door a bit rougher than he planned, eyes immediately searching the room for Eren. He spotted him on the sofa, but also spotted an unexpected guest. 

"Dr. Rusele?" Levi asked, glaring at the man for being in his room without notice. "Whatever, listen, Eren.. I think it would be best if we-"

"Surprise!" Eren cut the raven off. "I invited Dr. Rusele here to check on me so I could surprise you, and- Levi...it worked." 

"What..worked?" Levi asked, voice wavering. 

"I'm pregnant."


	26. The Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAHHH almost a thousand kudos!!! Thanks so much you guys!! I can't believe how supportive everyone is. I have not gotten even ONE negative comment on this fic, out of all the 9,500 "hits" I've gotten. Not one of you has been mean or rude, and everyone's just been great. I'm sorry I haven't been updating as regularly, but I get back on schedule and then I have job interviews or classwork or car repairs and yeah...Also, I'm moving right now. AGAIN...I'm so done with moving. 
> 
> But on the upside, I got a cute instax mini 8. I don't have film yet, but oh my god it's aesthetic...it's the best shade of pink ever. Plus i got it cheap. I already ordered a case and a little photo album...thank god I have more crap to waste my money on. Yayyy for overpriced girly products.
> 
> Ok sorry for leaving you guys on that cliffhanger last chapter, but enjoy! 
> 
> (P.S. sorry for so much dialogue in this chapter...)

Levi cocked a brow, almost as if he was pretending he didn't hear Eren. He didn't hear the kitten, right? He heard wrong..Eren didn't just say that he was...

"Levi, did you hear what I just said? I'm pregnant," Eren repeated, voice cracking as the kitten vibrated with excitement, hands clasped against his chest. So, Levi  **was** right...

The raven man pushed his hair back from his face, unsure what to say. The news he'd just gotten from Zackley was the absolute worst thing that could happen while Eren was  **pregnant**. They couldn't bring a baby into the world, not in a world like this. Not in a world where Levi couldn't find them a place to live. God, what was he going to do? Eren was staring at him expectantly, bright green eyes twinkling in the moonlight that shone through the panels of their windows. Levi was already taking too long to answer, and Eren's smile began to fade. No,  **no.** Levi could not do this to Eren at a time like this. He would figure things out, he would fix things. He couldn't let Eren be disappointed or stressed, the boy had wanted this for so long...They both did. 

"Eren, that's..that's amazing," Levi immediately spoke up, tone breathy from both excitement and absolute crippling fear. "I can't believe this.." He really  **couldn't** believe this. God really hated them, didn't he?

But Levi didn't even hesitate to lean down and scoop Eren into his arms, holding the kitten against himself and cupping the back of his head. Eren's arms wrapped around his neck and Levi could feel the vibration of purrs rumbling from Eren's chest. Eren was so happy...And...Levi wanted to be too. He would be, after he figured all of this out. But for now, Eren didn't need to know. He pressed his lips to Eren's temple, running his hand through the boy's hair. "Eren..I'm so proud of you, you know that?"

"Why? You do know that you helped make the baby too, don't you?" Eren asked softly into his alpha's ear, breaking off into a chuckle. Levi couldn't help but do the same. Only Eren could make him feel relaxed at a time like this..

"You're the one who's doing all the work. Right now, I mean-..Not...during the baby making process. You know it's my job to do the work then," Levi purred huskily, swaying back and forth with his kitten in his arms. His kitten, who was carrying an even  **smaller** kitten. 

Eren snuggled his face into Levi's neck to hide the redness in his cheeks, closing his eyes in relief. He hadn't been sure if Levi would appreciate being surprised like that, especially in his own room...But it seemed to work out fine. Levi didn't even seem to notice Dr. Rusele, in fact.   
  
"Well," the doctor spoke, clearing his throat before standing. "I should be going, it's way past my shift. Congratulations, Eren...To the both of you," he said quickly, giving the couple a small smile. Levi slowly shifted away from the door while still holding his kitten, face buried deep in Eren's neck while he took in his sweet scent. He barely even heard the doctor speak as the man slowly walked out of the room. 

Levi murmured somewhat of a thank you, barely audible, but even so, it didn't matter. Dr. Rusele was long gone by then. He kicked the door shut behind him carrying Eren over to the bed. His grip didn't falter as he laid down on his back, Eren on top of him and still purring intently, cheek rubbing up and down against Levi's neck and chin. The man could only close his eyes, letting Eren mark him and claim him in whatever cuddly ways he pleased, the actions calming Levi down somewhat. It was...relaxing. It was relaxing to see Eren  **happy**. 

"How did the meeting go?" Eren suddenly asked while hovering over Levi's face, his nose practically pressed to the older male's. 

"Hm?" Levi immediately opened his eyes. "The meeting.." He cleared his throat. "Good. Everything went well, it....wasn't important, really." 

"Not important?" Eren questioned. "But it sounded really important when Erd came and got you.." The kitten spoke in confusion. "Why would they make all that fuss over something unimportant?"

"Who knows what those bastards are doing...Really, all they want to do is waste my time," Levi assured the kitten, rubbing his back. And of course, Eren couldn't argue with that. The part about the military wasting his time, at least, wasn't a lie...And besides, they really were bastards. 

"They always do that to you.." Eren sighed. "They should be more thankful towards you...you're humanity's strongest," Eren murmured. 

"I didn't mind them taking up all of my time..before I met you. Now, every moment I'm not with you, it's a moment wasted. You're my hope, Bear.." Levi told the kitten affectionately, unable to help himself. Was he already turning into some kind of softie dad? Like Erwin? No - he could never be Erwin. Despite the blonde man's bravery, he was too...emotional for Levi's liking. With Eren, though, it was different. Despite the fact that Eren was honestly one of the most stubborn, difficult people he'd ever met...He didn't mind dealing with it every now in then. But that was, in fact, because Eren was perfect in every other way, and of course the two were...sexual partners. He was  **NOT** Erwin's sexual partner, nor was he ever. But, they'd had a few damn close calls when Erwin got tipsy.

"Levy.." Eren murmured, a slight whine to his voice as he wiggled against the raven beneath him, embarrassment spreading over his cheeks. "You don't have to say such things.."

"But I wanted to.." Levi murmured, reaching up to cup Eren's chin. "You know I mean it." It didn't hurt to be mushy  **once in a while**. 

"You're going to be a good father, Levy.." Eren said suddenly, looking down at the man before slowly lowering himself back down to rest against Levi's chest, face in the crook of his neck. "A really good one." 

"Oh?" Levi asked in both surprise, and nervousness. Some father he was... He didn't even have a place for his family to live. And he was lying about it, on top of it. "Why...where did that come from?" He questioned, hands still rubbing Eren's back comfortingly. 

Eren shrugged, yawning. "I don't know. It just came to mind..." the kitten admitted, and that was the truth. "You just make me feel really happy, and I know you'd do the same for any of our kids.." 

"Kids, hm? Already planning more than one?" Levi asked, cocking an eyebrow. He needed to know how much space their family would need, after all..

"Maybe like- well, I mean, at least six," Eren spoke, shrugging once more. "At minimum."

 **"Six?"** Levi nearly choked on his own spit. "Eren, I can't- I mean, isn't that a little bit unreasonable?" Levi questioned. "We'd have our hands full.." 

"But they'd grow up fast.." Eren pointed out. "We could just have a new one every time one grows up.."

"Oh, Eren.." Levi sighed, a near smile on his face. "I think you'll discover you want a break from being so busy with children at  **some point.** You don't even know what it's like to take care of a child yet, let alone six of them... We'll just take things as they go, how does that sound?" He asked. So...At least that was an assurance they'd be moving out of the barracks soon anyway. This place barely had room for two, let alone six...But Levi wasn't quite willing to go for six yet. 

"How many were you thinking?" Eren questioned in curiosity. 

"Maybe..I don't know.." Levi shrugged. "One or two? Maybe one more if we get bored and the other two are grown?" Levi guessed. He honestly wasn't sure. Eren sure was a handful when he was younger...Levi couldn't imagine raising six Erens. He nearly shivered at the thought.

"Hm...so...I only want triple the amount of kids you want. That's no big deal," Eren snorted sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Besides, you know that I have a heat every six months as long as I'm not pregnant...As if you'd be able to resist me during heat."

"As if you would be able to resist  **me** during heat," Levi corrected the kitten. He could only think back to how desperate Eren was and how turned on that made him... No. No, he couldn't let Eren prove him wrong. 

"Think about it. Six would really just be a minimum. If I have a heat twice a year for the next...ten or so years, that would mean I would get pregnant at least one of those times. That's ten kids right there. Besides, nekos usually have more than one, you know...kind of like a litter.. So pretend I have twins every year for the next ten years. That's twenty kids, Levi," Eren pointed out. 

"Eren, stop-" Levi immediately begged. "If you give me a heart attack right now, we won't even be able to have any more kids because you'll have killed me."

"Wait, let me finish. What if we have triplets every year? 30 kids. I could have up to 30 kids in ten years, Levi," the omega kitten continued, smiling against Levi's neck as he felt the man's pulse quicken. 

"Eren, I can't- where do you expect me to find a 31 bedroom house, hm?!" He growled. "Plus all of Erwin and Armin's - what if they have 30? There'd be  **60** kids at every playdate. We could start a fucking army with that many, " Levi huffed, wiping at his glistening forehead. He was sure he was dying now; this was it. This was the death of him.

"Fine, fine. Alright, that was just a possibility. How many do you think I have in here right now?" Eren asked. 

"One...you're small.." Levi mumbled. 

"Of course I'm small, I'm only a couple weeks along," Eren sighed, rolling his eyes. "I think I have four in there."

" **Four?** " Levi asked. "Eren, that really is a litter. You can't fit four babies inside you, that's - you'd look like a big blueberry.. Neither you, nor Armin could have that many. My guess is one, maybe two if god decided I should die early. But two...Two I could handle since I'd have you to help me. You don't know what it was like just raising one of you."

"That was different. I was out to get you, Levi. I wanted to make your life hell," Eren teased. 

"I don't doubt that.." Levi agreed seriously. "You nearly died what, three times since I've gotten you? And two of them were because you ran away from me.." Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

"But Levi, our children won't be like that. They'll be angels," Eren assured him. "Besides, if they do turn out a little...rowdy..Armin's kids can help calm them down. Armin's always been there to help control me." 

"There's only so much that little blonde can do...He's lucky now that you've settled down. I'm sure you've scared him as many times as you've scared me.." Levi murmured.

"Well, if I'm as evil as you say, then I'll know how they think," Eren said sarcastically. "You all practically treat me like I'm the devil." 

"Oh, stop it," Levi grumbled, wrapping his arms around Eren. "Just...don't run away anymore. Don't get in fights, don't walk on thin ice.." Levi listed a few things for Eren to improve on. 

"Whatever...You know until this pregnancy is over that I won't do anything even relatively unsafe. I can't risk losing another pregnancy, Levi.." Eren's voice was suddenly serious and low, a hint of sadness to it. He only pressed himself closer to Levi, closing his eyes. 

"Eren.." Levi murmured in sympathy, though he knew there was no way to understand what Eren had gone through completely. "I didn't mean it like that. I know you wouldn't put any of our children in danger..inside of you or not. Last time, we were uneducated... This time, we know what to do. It won't happen again as long as we keep you safe and relaxed.." Levi promised the kitten, though there was no way for him to keep his promise. Last time, Eren's miscarriage was completely unprovoked. But the only thing Levi could do was make sure there weren't any other possible threats. "I won't even let you stress out about the little things, Eren. If you want a piece of chocolate, I'll get you a piece of chocolate before you can even finish speaking. You don't even have to stress about chocolate, Eren," Levi assured the kitten, a breath of relief escaping him when he felt Eren smile against his neck. 

"I know..You spoil me rotten, Levy," Eren sighed. "But can I...have a piece of chocolate?" Eren asked innocently.

"Don't push it, kid," Levi teased, only holding him closer. He'd just have to have a stash of Eren's favorite foods ready at all times. Who knows what kind of cravings Eren's pregnancy would bring...

Eren only laughed in response, reluctantly sitting up. "We should get changed. You fall asleep in your day clothes way too often." 

Levi sighed, reaching up to brush Eren's hair away from his tanned face. "When did you get so responsible, hm?" He questioned teasingly, sitting up and setting Eren down on the bed. He stood as Eren crossed his arms and fake pouted, and Levi couldn't help but smirk. 

He retrieved their clothing, handing Eren his purple nightgown with white bows holding the front together, and of course, a little white robe so Eren wouldn't get cold. He loved it when Eren revealed his skin, but not on such chilly nights like these. 

Levi adorned his usual loose flowing pajama pants and t-shirt as Eren dressed in his nightgown, and as soon as Eren was all dressed, Levi was blowing out the lanterns and sliding into bed next to his kitten. Tomorrow...He'd need to talk to Erwin. They needed to figure out a plan. 

Eren yawned, snuggling up against Levi's side as the man's arms wrapped around him. He could only hum and purr in contentment as his eyes closed, already becoming sleepy. Or, maybe he was tired, and he just hadn't realized it until now. Besides, it was late, and of course he'd been so excited all night. 

"Levi?" Eren yawned, looking up at the man through the dark. 

"Hm?" Levi looked down at Eren, still holding him tightly, but gently. "What is it? Do you need anything?" He found himself asking before he could even register it. 

"Mh-no-" Eren nearly giggled, and Levi gave him a squeeze. "I just wanted to say thank you." 

"You're thanking me?" Levi asked in disbelief. "Why's that?"

"For doing all you've done for me...Since the day you found me. You took me in, you cared for me..You didn't have to fall in love with me, but you did. You were there for me when things got hard, even when I couldn't be there for you...And now you've...you've given me this baby, even though I know this is a hard time for you right now, with the war and all. But I'm glad that you haven't given up on me, or starting a family.." Eren admitted, hiding his red face in Levi's chest, despite the fact it was too dark for Levi to see anyway. 

"Eren.." Levi whispered, a pang of guilt hitting him. He was about to tell Eren that they couldn't have a family when he walked through the door earlier that night. Eren didn't know that, and Levi was just lying to him..about everything... "You don't...you don't need to..Just go to sleep," Levi stated quietly, giving Eren another gentle squeeze. "Go to sleep." 

"Alright.." Eren whispered, too tired to argue with the man. "Night, Levy." 

"Night...Bear..." Levi whispered, almost inaudibly. How much longer could he keep this from Eren? 

* * *

 "Come on, you know I've got to go work today, Bear," Levi spoke, picking up Eren's bag. He looked over at the kitten, who was only looking down at his black Mary Janes, unmoving. "Eren, I thought you wanted to tell everyone the good news today?" Levi questioned, setting down Eren's bag once more so he could kneel before the kitten. Eren still didn't look at him, only giving a shrug as his hands played with the hem of his black, white collared dress. "What's the matter?"

"I don't know..." Eren murmured, swaying slightly as he continued to play with his dress. "I just thought..." 

"You just thought what?" Levi questioned, reaching up to take Eren's chin gently, forcing the boy to look at him. "Did I do something?"

"No-no-" Eren quickly assured the man. "No, I just...I thought about the shelter.." Eren admitted.

"The neko shelter? The place you hated?" Levi asked in confusion. "You don't have to go back there, Eren. You'll spend the day with Armin today." 

"I know...but I...sort of want to.." Eren admitted, wrapping his arms around himself. "I sort of want to go back. I want to tell everyone.."

"You want to tell...nekos you hate...that you're pregnant?" Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair as he tried to understand what Eren was saying to him. "Eren, you cried the entire time you were there. And you got punched in the face," Levi reminded him. "What, do you want to get punched again?"

"No.." Eren replied, sighing. "I knew you wouldn't get it.." 

"Then make me understand why you'd think about going back to such a place," Levi demanded, looking at Eren seriously. "Didn't we discuss you wouldn't do anything dangerous while you're pregnant?" 

"It's not dangerous.." Eren murmured. "I wanted to show them that I'm not...I'm not as weak as they think I am," Eren admitted. "I want to show them I'm better than that, Levi. How can I raise a child if I can't even live up to my own mistakes?" He asked the man, frowning deeply. "If I don't go back there, I'll never have any piece of mind." 

"Eren.." Levi sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "This is just some pride thing?" He asked in disbelief. "Baby, you don't have to show anybody how good you are. All that matters is that you know you're a good person. They don't matter, they don't. And chances are, most of them have been adopted. Is it really worth putting yourself in danger just to go back there?" He sighed again. "I don't want you going back there."

"Please," Eren begged. "I know some of them have to be there, and it matters to me because everyone saw me as helpless. I'm not helpless, Levi, and I need them to know. I won't get in any more fights, I promise." 

"How can I believe that?" Levi asked, shaking his head. "Eren, you're more short tempered than you know." 

"No, I'm not!" Eren nearly shouted at the man, stomping his foot and crossing his arms. "Just let me go! For a couple hours!" The kitten demanded. 

"Eren.." Levi grumbled, fingers twitching with the urge to  **peel his entire face off**. Eren was so frustrating, and he proved Levi's point within seconds that he was short tempered. And Levi couldn't point that out because that would only make Eren angrier. He didn't want a full blown fit on his hands.. "I can't let you go by yourself, and I have work to do today. Maybe some weekend soon, alright?" He sighed, hoping Eren would at least compromise. 

"No..I want to go today. I can bring Armin with me," Eren pointed out. "Armin would come. And he would keep me out of trouble since you don't trust me." 

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just-" Levi cut off, trying to find the right words... "It's just that I don't...believe you.." Levi tried to reword it. He'd just said something worse, hadn't he? "Not like- I mean...Eren, I'd trust you with my life, but it's the other kittens I don't trust after what happened last time. I don't think Erwin would even let Armin go.." 

"If Erwin lets Armin go, can I go?" Eren asked, crossing his arms. "That sounds fair to me, Levi. You trust Armin, so you can't tell me I can't go if Armin comes with me."

Levi hesitated, messing his hair up even more in frustration. "F-fine.." He murmured in agreement. "You can go if Armin can go, but I doubt Erwin would let him.." Erwin would never let Armin go to such a place, especially with Armin being pregnant. Erwin would understand Levi's reluctance. 

Eren nodded, still stubborn in his motions as he walked past Levi to exit their room. Levi could only sigh for about the hundredth time that morning as he grabbed Eren's bag, walking at a fast pace to keep up with the young kitten. 

Levi had barely made it to the door by the time Eren had already knocked, and Erwin was opening it. 

"Levi. I didn't expect to see you until we were on the field," Erwin spoke. "You want to talk about-"

"No," Levi quickly cut him off, giving Erwin a deathly glare. If Erwin spilled anything to Eren, Levi would be sure to make the blonde giant pay. Erwin quickly got Levi's message, nodding and stepping back to allow the two in. "We actually have something else to talk abou-"

"Armin!" Eren yelled, running over to the blonde kitten, who seemed to have just gotten out of the bath. "Armin, I'm pregnant!" He yelled, nearly tackling Armin, who screamed in surprise and struggled to keep his towel covering his bare body. 

"Ohh..I see..Erwin mumbled, rubbing his chin as he watched the two kittens jump in excitement. "I see.."

"We can discuss this later.." Levi mumbled lowly. "Eren can't know yet. Does Armin know?" 

"No. But he knows something's up...He's too smart to ignore when I lie. He'll figure it out sooner or later.." Erwin admitted. "We need to come up with a plan." 

Levi nodded before beckoning Eren back over to him, the kitten's mood brightened significantly by sharing the happy news with his friend. "But..Eren wanted to know if Armin could accompany him to that neko shelter he went to a while back...and hated.." Levi murmured, glaring at Erwin. But, Erwin didn't catch his glare, too busy looking at Armin, who was still struggling to keep himself covered with the towel. 

"Mh...sounds fun. As long as Armin wants to," Erwin spoke, kneeling down to help cover Armin better. 

"What?" Levi hissed. "Erwin.."

"I told you," Eren snapped, hitting Levi's thigh a bit harder than a normal playful hit would be. 

"It-it sounds alright, I wouldn't mind it," Armin admitted. "If Eren wants me to go, I will." 

"Dammit.." Levi hissed under his breath. He didn't want Eren to go, but he couldn't go back on his word. "Are you sure you want to do this, Eren?" Levi questioned, and Eren nodded firmly in response. 

"You can pick us up at lunch time, if it makes you feel any better," Eren suggested, and Levi huffed, crossing his arms. His own kitten was bargaining with him to make  **him** feel better...

"If that's what you want," Levi murmured, trying to sound indifferent. "Then I wouldn't mind.." 

"Good.." Eren replied, smirking slightly. "Come on, Armin. You go get dressed, then we'll head out." Armin immediately obeyed, dragging the towel wrapped around him as he made his way to the bathroom. 

They waited in silence for the blonde kitten to return, Erwin still not realizing that he'd done anything wrong. He was one of the smartest people within these walls, but yet, sometimes he could be so thick. 

Once Armin had returned, they decided to bring Eren and Armin to the shelter together. Erwin offered to bring them both, but Levi wanted to see to it that Eren would still be alright, even when he got there. He wasn't sure if Eren would change his mind once he was actually faced with entering the shelter and seeing those who he didn't get along with. But, knowing Eren, he probably wouldn't back down. 

They'd saddled up the horses quickly and loaded up anything Eren and Armin would need before Levi was leading the way to the shelter, since Erwin had never been before.

The ride was at least twenty minutes, maybe more, but it seemed short to Levi. He didn't try to convince Eren to turn around and go home during the ride; there was no point. It would only make Eren want to go more. He could see Armin and Erwin idly chatting along the way, but he couldn't quite hear what they were saying. He caught Armin laugh once or twice until later on, when he was simply frowning while Erwin spoke. He vaguely heard Armin's voice rise and he motioned to his growing stomach, but Levi wasn't sure what was going on. He hoped Erwin hadn't spilled anything and upset Armin because of course Armin would tell Eren. 

The two blondes didn't really seem to be on speaking terms for the rest of the ride, until the shelter was reached. Both Levi and Erwin lifted their kittens down from the horse, Armin refusing Erwin's offer to carry him. Levi shot Erwin a look, but Erwin only shook his head as they walked toward the door. 

Ilse answered almost immediately, looking quite surprised to see Levi and Eren once again, and surprised to see two more guests had come along. "C-captain? What can I do for you?" 

"Eren would...He would like to come back," Levi murmured, clearing his throat. "And this is Commander Erwin. His neko, Armin, would also like to come visit.." Levi tried to explain without sounding strange. 

"Eren...caused some trouble last time he was here.." Ilse murmured, rubbing the back of her head. "I would be happy to have him back, but he mustn't get in any more fights."

"It wouldn't have happened if you'd been watching them properly," Levi growled under his breath. 

"I'm sorry? What was that?" Ilse asked, crossing her arms, and Eren tugged on Levi's 3DMG straps pleadingly. 

"Nothing...Nothing. I just said Eren would be happy to come stay with you again. The thing is, both Eren and Armin are with child, so.." Levi shifted from foot to foot, crossing his arms. "You'd better not let that weird kid from before hurt them. Eren already agreed to keep his distance, now you make that other neko keep his hands off them. If he's still here, of course," Levi said firmly, trying to keep from sounding too rude. 

"If Eren's agreed to behave, I'm sure Jean will cooperate. He'd never hurt a pregnant neko," Ilse assured them. She knelt down, looking over Armin. "It's nice to meet you, Armin, I'm Ilse. You're becoming quite far along, aren't you?" She questioned, gesturing to the roundness of his stomach. Armin looked away bashfully before turning to hide his face in Erwin's leg. 

"He's embarrassed," Erwin chuckled. "He thinks it looks strange. He's never seen a pregnant neko before.." 

"You're embarrassed, Armin?" Eren asked. "Why didn't you tell me? I'll look just like you soon enough." 

"I don't know. It never came up.." Armin admitted. "I suppose that makes me feel a little better.." He shrugged, letting go of Erwin's leg. Eren rolled his eyes. 

"Eren.." Levi murmured, kneeling down. "I'll be here right at lunch...I won't be late," he promised the kitten. "Are you really sure you want to stay?"

"I am," Eren assured the man, looking at the man seriously. "I'll be alright here."

Levi couldn't help but nod. He trusted Eren, more than anyone. Eren could make his own decisions. "I know, Bear." He pulled Eren against himself, pressing his face into Eren's hair when Eren hugged him back.

"They'll be fine, Levi. Come on, we have to go back," Erwin reminded the raven, patting his shoulder. Levi took a few more seconds to hold Eren close before letting go of him. 

"I guess you reversed our roles from the last time you came here, didn't you?" Levi questioned teasingly, and Eren smiled as Levi stood up. He didn't say anything else, handing Ilse Eren's bag before he was following Erwin back to the horses. 

"So...rough times with Armin?" Levi asked as they mounted their horses, and Erwin only grunted in response as he gently snapped the reins to get his horse trotting. "What, too big to talk to me?" 

"Levi.." Erwin warned. "It's not that. It's just hard to keep things from him," the blonde explained, shaking his head as he did so. "He's too smart for me."

"Nonsense..You're just a terrible liar. You think I like lying to Eren? I don't, but I'm doing what's best; he doesn't need any stress right now," Levi stated firmly. 

"Armin's already stressed enough...He's not enjoying this whole pregnancy thing. He doesn't like the added weight, and he's starting to get scared. I don't know what to do. He's not like Eren, he can't just be excited about everything," Erwin grumbled. "It's been hard on us." 

"Like Eren isn't terrified too, Erwin. He may be more excited to be pregnant than Armin is, but he's scared of losing another baby," Levi said, shaking his head. "Maybe if you'd defended Eren and Armin at that meeting last night, we wouldn't have this problem."

"Excuse me?" Erwin asked, looking over at Levi. "I did what I was supposed to do; I was doing my job. You only made things worse. We could have negotiated if you hadn't stomped out of the meeting like a lunatic," Erwin huffed. 

"How was I supposed to keep my temper when they were attacking Eren directly? Attacking him for losing a baby, as if it wasn't already painful enough for us. If Eren gets stressed out, he could lose this one too, and that would devastate him. Armin could very well lose your baby too, you know," Levi warned.

"I know that, dammit," Erwin growled. "What am I supposed to do? He already knows I'm lying." 

"We'll talk to Hanji,..come up with a game plan. She'll know what to do." Levi clicked his tongue and pressed his heel into the sides of his horse, urging it faster. They'd have to get this done before lunch time.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren's dress - http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0411/1065/products/Cuello_Blanco_Vestido_Negro_Editado_2_1024x1024.jpg?v=1414095347


	27. The Stress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG I'M SO SORRY, IT'S BEEN AN ENTIRE MONTH SINCE I UPDATED LAST. I swear, I have excuses. 
> 
> Ok, well, I started working, so I had to go through training and stuff and I was busy busy...
> 
> But then, I decided I could get a chapter up the weekend before school started, right? Wrong...
> 
> BOTH of my bathrooms flooded with dirty poo water and it was the grossest thing ever, so I had to go stay with a friend while the pipes got fixed and then I spent the last day of my summer cleaning up dirty poo poo bathrooms...
> 
> FML 
> 
> But yeah, here you guys go...There's only a couple chapters left in this fic, but I hope I can start writing another one soon...I just haven't come up with any good ideas :( But i know you guys like ABO and mpreg, so if you have any suggestions or requests, feel free to let me know! 
> 
> Also, sorry for updating on a Tuesday...I've broken the cycle. I hope the end of this chapter kinda helps make up for it even though my writing has been shit lately. 
> 
> How's school for everyone? I hate one of my teachers because she doesn't understand personal space, but...what'cha gonna do...

Eren looked around the shelter, surprise quickly finding his face. Every kitten that had been there during Eren's first visit...They were still here. And it had been weeks, close to a month. Nobody had adopted them by now? And almost even more surprisingly, there were no new kittens. No others had been taken into the shelter, and Eren wondered why.   
  
"Ilse?" He asked, looking up at the woman before she could walk away. "Why hasn't anyone else been adopted?" He questioned her, cocking his head. 

"Nobody's come by to see them," Ilse replied, shrugging slightly. "I guess sometimes that happens, hm?" 

"But why haven't you taken in any new kittens? Levi says there are strays all the time since more and more of us are being bred.." Eren replied, looking up at her. "I'm confused." 

"That's not important right now, Eren," Ilse replied, reaching behind herself to make sure her notebook was stuffed tightly into her back pocket. "Why don't you introduce Armin to the others?" She suggested. 

"But-" Eren tried to protest, but suddenly Ilse was turning on her heel and walking away quickly as though to avoid Eren entirely. She looked back at him briefly, taking out her journal she'd just so carefully stuffed in her pocket seconds before to write something down like it was urgent. 

"What...is she doing..? Armin asked, narrowing his eyes as he watched Ilse finally leave the room. "What's that diary all about?" 

"Who knows?" Eren sighed, shaking his head. "She's weird. Levi doesn't much like her.." He explained. "I'm not sure how I feel about her." 

"She seems kind of lonely," Armin murmured. "Do you think she was writing about us? Like, a book?"

"Dunno.." Eren sighed. "If she did, what would she call it? Kitty Love?" Eren snorted, shaking his head. "Never mind, that's stupid." 

"I just really want to know what she-" Armin was cut off when he caught someone staring at them, and Eren immediately recognized the kitten. His two toned hair bounced as he strode over to Eren and Armin, arms across his chest. 

"So, did your human get rid of you for good this time? And this one, too?" Jean asked, smirking ever so slightly. Eren bared his teeth, already angry at just jean's greeting. He didn't understand how one person could be so damn  **rude**.

Eren bared his teeth, Armin holding onto him to keep him from pouncing.

“Levi is *not* my human. He’s my partner, my equal. And he’d never get rid of me,” Eren defended his raven haired lover. “We’ve already been over this, Jean. I only came back because I pity you.”

“So why’s your blonde friend with you? Is it because you’re scared to be alone?” Jean asked, still smirking ever so slightly. “It’s alright, Eren, I won’t mess you up too bad this time.”

“You wouldn’t,” Eren snapped. “Levi and I are happy, and he’d sure let you have it if you even laid a hand on me. I’m pregnant,” Eren growled at the horse faced neko, foot tapping in agitation as he waited for Jean’s reaction.

  “As if..” Jean scoffed. “Who would make a baby with you? You’re immature and just plain suicidal. You have no clue what’s right from wrong.”

“You’re just upset because you know it’s true,” Eren replied. “And whether or not you can come to terms with it is your choice. But personally, I don’t give a shit about you,” Eren spoke, shrugging innocently as he took Armin’s hand and led him away from the baffled and bewildered Jean.

Eren couldn’t help the look of pride on his face as he walked away, Armin looking at him in surprise.

“Gee, Eren..” Armin murmured. “Getting pregnant sure gave you a lot of confidence, didn’t it?”

Eren shrugged, looking away. “I suppose it’s helped…It’s nice having something to look forward to, you know? I don’t know why you don’t look at it that way.”

“I-I do!” Armin quickly defended, looking quite nervous. “I do, I swear. I want a baby and I’m looking forward to it, but it’s just weird…having something inside you…don’t you think? And I’ve taken on a rather embarrassing shape..”

“Armin,” Eren laughed. “Of course it’s strange having something inside you, but it’s your baby, of course it belongs inside you until it’s born. And as for your shape…Armin, you just have a little round belly. It’s cute,” Eren assured him. “I can’t wait until I start to show.”

“I’ve just been waiting for the baby to kick…It should kick soon, I mean I am three months. That’s nearly half my pregnancy,” Armin sighed.

“Just know you’re lucky. Did you know people carry their babies for 9 months? You only have to go through 6. You got off lucky,” Eren laughed, and Armin couldn’t help but giggle.

“Hey,  who's that?" Armin questioned, looking over to the corner of the room. Annie was there, as usual.   
  
"That's Annie. Believe it or not, she's the most normal person in this place," Eren huffed, making eye contact with Annie before giving her a nod of greeting. "She's not much of a talker, though.." Eren actually liked Annie, despite her scary demeanor. She seemed to be a good person on the inside, but...Eren couldn't help but wonder what she'd gone through to make her retract from society. He guessed, nothing good. Not that any of the nekos here got here in a good way. "Ilse said her only friends were adopted and she wasn't..But I have a feeling she didn't talk much while they were around, either. She just doesn't seem like the type of person," Eren murmured, shrugging. 

"Maybe that's why that Jean is so mean..maybe his friends are gone, too," Armin suggested, looking over at the two-toned haired kitten. "Do you know how he got here?" 

"No, I have no clue.." Eren replied. "I think he hates me because I have Levi. He doesn't seem to be mean to any of the orphaned kittens..I think he just wants someone to take him home," Eren admitted, suddenly feeling a bit bad for Jean. Armin only nodded in reply, frowning in sympathy. 

"We are lucky, aren't we?" Armin asked. "To have such good..owners.." he said the word 'owners' with a hint of disgusted confusion. It made him uncomfortable to be calling Erwin his owner because Erwin was anything but that. They were partners, but of course the kittens here would never understand. 

Eren nodded, looking over at Sasha and Connie, who began to wave furiously. "Come on..I'll introduce you to Tweedle Dee, and Tweedle Dum.." The omega kitten sighed. 

* * *

"I asked Hanji to think of something.." Levi murmured, shaking his head as he and Erwin reentered the base, Levi walking swiftly with Erwin right beside him. 

"You asked Hanji, of all people?" The blonde asked, frowning as he rubbed his brow. "Levi, what can she do? She doesn't have the rank...or the people skills. She makes everyone uncomfortable, Levi, let's face it. That woman interacts with titans better than she does her superiors," he pointed out in a frustrated huff. "Slow down, would you?"

"No, we need to have a meeting about this now. Hanji will be there, she'll think of something...You can handle how to talk to the assholes, you're better at dealing with assholes. People, and..the other kind," Levi grumbled. "My squad will be there. So will Nanaba and Mike, maybe Rico. We need all the brains you can get, you hear me, Smith? And you can't let Zackley and all his little followers treat you like shit. You need to stand up for Armin," Levi warned, during down a private hall only meant for captains and above. 

"And you need to learn how to keep your damn mouth shut...we wouldn't even be in this situation if it weren't for your little outburst," Erwin pointed out, walking past Levi to open the door before Levi could even reach for the handle, as though he was trying to show Levi that he was still his superior. 

"Tch.." Levi scowled, gritting hia teeth to prevent him from saying something stupid. It wasn't his fault that Erwin didn't have the decency to defend the one he supposedly loved, and of course, his child on the way. Levi followed Erwin into the small meeting room, nearly jumping when he saw everyone already standing around. He gritted his teeth, flinching before rubbing his face. 

"What the hell are you all doing here?" Levi gritted out to his squad and the added others. 

"Sir..you asked us to be here," Rico sighed in annoyance, wiping her glasses clean briefly before setting them back upon her nose. 

"Dammit, I know, I just-" Levi cut off, rubbing his forehead before plopping down into a seat, while Erwin stayed standing. 

"I'm sure Major Hanji has told you all about our...situation.." Erwin spoke, clearing his throat. "I'd like for you not to think of me as your commander this morning, but your friend. I am asking you for help from the depths of my heart, for my family...Not for the military. In this room, I'm not your commander. And outside this room, I'm not sure how much longer I will be.." 

"Erwin, don't talk like that. We're all going to get this sorted out without committing treason, alright?" Levi growled. "Where is the whisky?" He asked, as though it was something he should have at all times. Mike was quick to hand over a shot, which Levi downed without complaint. 

"I don't know about that," Hanji admitted, standing from where she'd been sitting on the window ledge. "If Darius Zackley said it himself, then..-"

"What they're doing, it's illegal. Any soldier has the right to have their partner with them in the barracks.." Gunther said, shaking his head. "Especially captains...and you, commander.." 

"They do more illegal things than legal," Erwin admitted. "You all know that well...Here, Zackley is the decision maker. We're only his chess pieces..He's become too powerful because of this war, he can do anything he wants," Erwin growled, malice evident in his tone, despite his effort to stay calm and collected.

 "Sir, if you threaten to step down, surely they'll back off.." Aluo suggested. "Both of you." 

"They'd just love that, wouldn't they? For us to step down and let Sina win the war..." Levi huffed, crossing his legs. "Come up with something useful, Aluo." 

"Levi, it's not a bad idea," Erwin cut in before Aluo could voice an apology. "Not step down from the war, but simply...rename ourselves. If we aren't the scouts anymore and we aren't fighting the titans outside the wall, who will? They need us for that, Levi," the blonde pointed out, running a hand through his hair as he tried to collect more thoughts. 

"Are you being serious right now? They don't care about us, Erwin, they don't care about the titans right now. The only thing we would be doing by giving up the fight outside the walls would be letting ourselves down," Levi huffed. 

"Was Zackley even serious? Did he issue an official paper warning?" Hanji asked in confusion, shaking her head. "Why would she only threaten the two of you, but not me? I'm sure it's gotten around that I have Mikasa..." She spoke. "Then again, Mikasa and I aren't partners." 

"He didn't write us a citation, no.." Levi murmured in realization. Was Zackley threatening them with something he didn't even have the authority to do. "If one doesn't go through within the next week or so, maybe that means..."

"He's bluffing. This is what he wants, for us to give in," Erwin growled in frustration. "He wanted us to take up our time and energy on this Neko crisis so he could make a big move with Sina in the war.." Zackley was 'neutral,' but it was well known that he was easily swayed by money. Money that Sina was willing to give up. 

"The military police won't send troops out here without a citation. If there isn't a citation before the month is up, we'll know something big is about to happen with the war. They'll make their move, whatever it may be; and if they are serious about us moving out of the barracks with our families...so be it. Armin deserves a proper house, anyway," Erwin said. It was safer to have the kittens close at the barracks, but...they would do what they had to. 

Levi nodded, frowning at the thought of having to move two pregnant people, let alone nekos, so abruptly. This was home to Eren..and him. But Erwin was right, their safety was more important than anything. 

"Rico, send your squad into Trost and tell them to collect any paperwork that hasn't been delivered. Tell them to ask for reports, as well..They'll deny access to them at first, but they have no right to. The reports should show whatever Darius Zackley has been issuing to the Scouts, you understand?" Erwin asked, and Rico nodded. "For now, Eren and Armin will go to that shelter during the day...Mikasa, too, if that's alright with you, Hanji."

"It's perfectly fine with me, whatever is safest for them," the bespectacled woman replied, standing. "I'll start asking around to see if we have any leverage with this. Zackley trying to kick kittens to the curb...The upper class won't like that now that nekos are a popular..ehm..choice in partners," she tried to word it without sounding absolutely disgusting. The upper class would take advantage of anything that would move. 

"Mh.." Levi nodded, pouring himself a half glass of whisky to down. "You go do that, Hanji. I wouldn't be surprised if the king had a couple himself.." 

The woman nodded, looking at Levi, then Erwin before she was collecting her things to leave the room quickly. She cared about Eren just as much as Levi did, and Levi knew that. Though, he refused to admit it. He wanted to be the only one who could love Eren the most, but...he appreciated her. More than he could tell her.

Levi cleared his throat once she was gone, looking over at Erwin. "You'd better tell me that Eren isn't in danger.." Levi whispered. 

"Zackley wouldn't try anything. He fights dirty, but during the war, he has much more important things to worry about than our selected partners," Erwin assured him, but he looked nervous. "I'll make sure everything is settled, Levi." 

"You'd better.." Levi grumbled quietly, but he knew this whole mess was just as much his fault as it was Erwin's. 

* * *

Later that day, when Levi had traveled with Erwin to the shelter to pick up Eren and Armin, Levi was sure to check Eren over from head to toe in worry to make sure no one had hurt him. He knew if this was a repeat of last time, he would never forgive himself. Luckily for the both of them, Eren was unharmed and smiling as Levi cupped his chin and turned his face from side to side. 

"I'm fine, Levy," Eren laughed, trying to pry Levi's hands away. "I promise. It was okay this time," he said to the older male, squirming as Levi pulled him against him, squeezing Eren tightly. 

"You'd better be fine, or I wouldn't hesitate to kill a neko. I'm not a merciful man, Eren," Levi warned seriously, but it only made Eren laugh as Levi pulled the boy up to cradle him. "That boy who hurt you last time, did he give you any trouble? Did he touch you?"

"No, he didn't. I made sure he was shut up," Eren assured Levi as the man looked around. "I promised you I wouldn't get into any more fights."

"I trust you, but I don't trust anyone else..I would hope that bastard wouldn't be so low as to mess with a pregnant neko smaller than him," Levi said seriously. "Which one was it? Was it that one?" Levi asked, glaring at a boy with two-toned hair who wouldn't stop glaring from where he sat. 

"It doesn't matter, Levi.." Eren said quietly. "Don't do anything...I like the other kittens here. Please don't embarrass me," Eren begged, giving Levi a squeeze. Levi gritted his teeth, grinding them for a moment before nodding. 

"Embarrass you..what am I, your father?" Levi scoffed. "I'm too young.." 

"Levi," Eren laughed, making the man scowl. Eren didn't know Levi was actually being genuine about thinking he was a young father.. 

"Captain, Commander, it's good to see you both," Ilse spoke as she rounded the corner, Connie in her arms. She set him down, and he immediately ran over to Sasha and Mina. 

"Mh.." Levi simply hummed in response, giving a nod. He still wasn't very fond of Ilse due to her lack of care for Eren last time. 

"I hope Eren and Armin enjoyed being here today, they got along with the others so well," Ilse assured the two men. "I'm glad Eren has dealt with his issues at home, I'm sure they were causing him to act out." 

"Issues my ass, don't insult him like that in front of me. I expect you to have him in good condition every time I pick him up, especially now that he's pregnant. With what the both of us are paying you, don't act as though Eren is a burden. I'll be returning him tomorrow for the same amount of time as today," Levi snapped at the woman. Maybe he was being too defensive, but she was treating Eren as though he couldn't even think for himself. Levi turned on his heel, leaving Erwin humbly apologizing for Levi, despite the fact he actually agreed with the man. Levi knew that Erwin was probably annoyed with Ilse thinking Armin wasn't as smart as any human. He hadn't asked, but he knew she did. 

"You didn't have to-you didn't have to defend me like that," Eren said in bewilderment as Levi mounted the horse with Eren in his arms. 

"Yes, I did. Eren, I didn't realize how much you put up with for being a neko and you know what, it's not fair. It's not damn fair at all because you're just as smart as me or Hanji, and you're more human than anyone I've ever met. So, I did have to defend you, Eren," Levi said firmly to the kitten, cupping the side of his face momentarily before ushering his horse back towards the base. 

Eren didn't say anything right away, simply sinking against Levi's chest and letting out a contented sigh, a slight blush even on his cheeks. "You make me feel like a person, Levi.." 

"You are a person," Levi assured the boy, a hint of sadness in his voice. "You'll always be my kitten, but you're a person." 

"That's different..I want to be your kitten," Eren assured the man. "And your bear." 

"Well, then you will be," Levi promised the kitten over the sound of trotting hooves. "You will be." 

He bit his lip, increasing the speed of the horse ever so slightly. He felt like an awful human being for saying that Eren had just as many rights as the rest of them because he'd decided..not to tell Eren about Zackley's threats. He knew Eren had a right to know, but why make the kitten stress over something that was probably nothing? Eren already had enough to stress about and if he lost another baby and it was Levi's fault...Levi didn't even want to think about it. He couldn't put any more stress on Eren, not now. Not until he knew everything would be okay. 

The raven held Eren around his waist, palm over the kitten's flat stomach. He didn't care anymore if this was a bad time to have children. Would there ever be a right time, a perfect time? No, Levi knew there wouldn't. This was his family, something he wanted more than anything else. Maybe even more than freedom. 

The rest of their ride was silent, but not in a bad way. They were just focused on relaxing and enjoying the ride, which Levi found that he very much liked. It was nice to not have to worry about Eren or anything else, to just have him safe against his chest. It was all he wanted. 

He was almost disappointed when they pulled up to the stables, Eren letting out a sigh of exasperation. He'd been enjoying the ride as well, but at least now they could be in the privacy of their own room. He let Levi lift him down from the horse and took his hand, walking happily alongside Levi down the halls and towards their room, waving to anyone who passed by since he knew almost every living soul in the building. 

Once inside, Eren sat down on the floor to remove his shoes, but Levi picked him up before he could do so, swinging him around onto his hip and carrying him over to the couch to set Eren on his lap, his hands moving to unbuckle Eren's shoes for him. 

"What are you doing that for?" Eren asked bashfully. 

"Can't I spoil you without being interrogated, Bear?" Levi asked teasingly, setting Eren's shoes aside before gently rubbing one of the kitten's feet with nimble fingers. 

"Mh..no," Eren replied smiling as he shook his head. "You have to tell me why you're spoiling me." 

"Aren't I supposed to?" Levi questioned. "If you're pregnant, I should get into the habit of spoiling you like this to keep you comfortable." 

"My feet aren't even sore," Eren laughed quietly, leaning against Levi in content. 

"But they will be. So I should start taking care of it now to keep you happy. If you're happy, I'm happy," Levi hummed affectionately, bring the little socked foot up to his lips to press a kiss to it. If it was summer and Eren's feet were sweating, he definitely would've passed on that one. But otherwise, Eren's feet were small and doll like, always covered with lacy and frilly socks. Even something that was supposed to be gross, like feet, were cute on his Eren. It didn't make any sense.

Eren giggled, trying to pull his ticklish foot away from Levi's lips, but it was too late, Levi had already discovered the source of Eren's giggle and was taking advantage of it just to make the boy laugh. 

"Levi," the kitten laughed, trying to free his ankle from Levi's grip. "That's not how you spoil someone," the kitten managed out between pants and laughs. 

"Really? Then how do I?" Levi questioned, releasing Eren's foot. Maybe he was a little bit merciful..

"Like this." Eren straddled the man, pressing their lips together. Levi hummed, lips vibrating against Eren's as his hands came up to cup either side of Eren's face as gently as possible, thumbs brushing over the boy's flushed cheeks. He couldn't help it when he sucked Eren's bottom lip in gently between his teeth, giving it a slight nibble. In turn, Eren parted his lips in a way of showing Levi that he could do whatever he wanted. Levi didn't hesitate to take advantage of that. 

His hand slid up the back of Eren's dress, over his rear and to his warm back as his mouth took control of the kiss, tongue overpowering Eren's dominantly, but gently. He rubbed Eren's bare skin, his other hand still at Eren's cheek. 

"Mh-" Eren was almost caught off guard by Levi's hand under his dress, but he wasn't complaining, not one bit. He pushed himself up a bit more in Levi's lap, rolling his hips and  breathing heavily through his nose, breaking the kiss only when he needed more air. The second their lips parted, Levi's lips found the soft skin of Eren's neck, nipping and sucking at it and making a moan escape the kitten, Eren not even bothering to try and hide his arousal. "Ah-" he sucked in a harsh breath, tilting his head back to allow Levi more access to the column of his throat, pulse quickening beneath the skin, something not going unnoticed by Levi. 

The man made sure to leave visible marks on Eren's skin, uncaring if anyone would think it was inappropriate. At least they'd know Eren was his.

Levi couldn't control the roaming of his hands, fingers gliding over Eren's soft skin and dipping down into his underwear before he was slowly pulling the fabric off, sliding it down Eren's legs and tossing the underwear aside to leave Eren bare beneath his dress. 

"Mh..Levy, I-" Eren let out a shaky breath, unable to protest. Why was he even trying to in the first place? "Keep going.." he quietly begged, rolling his hips against Levi. 

"Of course.." Levi murmured in reply, unable to resist Eren anyway. Eren didn't need to ask Levi to keep going, it was just a plus that Eren wanted this just as much as he did. It was seconds before Eren's dress was tossed off over his head lazily and onto the floor, leaving the kitten completely exposed, goosebumps along his skin that Levi rubbed his hands against to calm Eren's newly exposed skin. His lips found Eren's collarbone, teeth greedily nipping at the skin before moving down his chest, making Eren whine with anticipation. He lifted Eren up a bit, kissing down his abdomen and taking extra care around his flat belly before moving back up to Eren's lips again. 

The brunette's arms wrapped around Levi's neck, his body eagerly pressing forward against Levi's as they kissed and he could hear one of Levi's hands moving down to unbuckle his pants, fabric sliding as he moved them down, along with his undergarments, to reveal his already hardened member that Eren couldn't resist grinding against. 

"Fuck," Levi growled, knowing he wouldn't even be able to get his pants off all the way. Neither he, nor Eren had the restraint. He gripped Eren's hips firmly, lining Eren up with his cock. "Good..good boy," he hummed through his arousal as Eren used his strength to squat over Levi's member as he let Levi line him up. He huffed through his nose, slowly lowering Eren down to keep Eren from just plunging straight down, like he knew the kitten was planning to. 

"Mh-h- give it to me," Eren begged through gritted teeth, pressing down against Levi's hands that were holding him up. 

"Slow, Bear, you're not in heat," Levi huffed, though it pained him to do so. He wanted Eren to plunge down onto his stiff cock in one fell swoop more than anything, but he couldn't risk Eren hurting himself. The kitten was surprisingly good at taking in all of Levi for how small he was, and for how...not small..Levi was. It was the neko's nature lubrication, much like a human female. Even though it wasn't needed, Levi enjoyed the foreplay every once in a while. After all, he was known for spoiling Eren. 

"Hih-I know, I just-" Eren bit his lip, groaning as Levi's tip slipped into the slick, wet tightness. Eren panted, Levi's thumbs rubbing tentatively at his hip bones. "Levi." Eren pushed down a bit more and Levi let him, allowing for the kitten to slide down further, and further. Inch by inch. 

Eren was panting, nearly drooling by the time his ass slowly, but surely connected with Levi's lap, the tip of Levi's member pressing against his sweet spot as deeply and as with as much pressure as possible. 

"Shh..Slow," Levi coaxed the dazed kitten, gently helping Eren to roll his hips, which made Levi let out a groan himself. "God.." He let out a hitched breath, tossing his head back before bucking his hips up experimentally, a strangled and surprised, but pleasured moan escaping Eren's lips before Levi could even finish the thrust. "Eren.." 

"Levy, Levy-" Eren leaned forward to press his face into Levi's neck desperately, taking in the man's scent and pressing his lips against the pale, sweat damp skin as Levi gently began to help Eren move up and down along with the movement of his own hips. 

Eren was moaning and groaning, gasping against Levi's neck as his hands twisted into the man's shirt. "So big.." He praised the raven haired man, whining again and letting out an eager moan. "So big, so good." 

Levi was practically beaming at his little mate's praise, thrusting increasing as Eren disjointedly tried to ride Levi and keep up with the man's fast pace, unable to do so, so he just let Levi control it. But Levi was perfectly fine with that, just watching Eren fall apart completely in his lap as he rode the man. 

The hand Levi didn't use to steady Eren was now at the boy's leaking member, stroking the head before taking all of it in one hand easily, rubbing it slowly, then faster, in time with their thrusts. 

This made Eren moan louder than before, groaning Levi's name as he clawed at the man's chest and shirt, face flushed with pleasure as his toes curled, body bouncing up and down on the member embedded in him. He huffed in strain, eyes closed as he let Levi increase their speed. 

"Mh-fuck," Levi hissed. "Almost there, Bear, almost," Levi groaned, having to hold back from releasing so early. He was nearly 37, and yet when Eren was around, he could cum as quickly as a teenage boy. 

"Oh-Oh-" Eren panted, moaning so loudly, Levi was sure someone was bound to here. "Levy-" he couldn't even get anything else out as he choked on his words, tears of pleasure in his eyes as his body shook and his back arched, tiny cock letting out thick beads of pearly cum into Levi's hand and onto his lap. 

Levi groaned at the feeling, taking in a deep breath and thrusting up into Eren roughly and repeatedly, whispering Eren's name beneath his labored breaths before the smacking of skin sounded once more as Levi's release came. 

"Fuck!" His hips jerked and he squeezed Eren tightly, filling the panting kitten up with his warm seed, more than he'd expected he would. It dripped out from around Levi's cock, already sliding into his lap as gravity took its toll.

 Eren didn't even bother to dismount as he let himself fall forward against Levi's chest, his own chest heaving with exhaustion and exhilaration as he tried to calm down, still shaking from the aftermath of his orgasm. He'd never felt anything better, honestly. "Mh..Levi.." 

"Yeah?" Levi breathed, cupping the back of Eren's sweaty nape, brushing away the soft strands. 

Eren's voice was not questioning, but demanding as he spoke his next words. 

**"Again."**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses for next chapter? ;) also...
> 
> BABY NAME RECOMMENDATIONS ARE WELCOME.


	28. The Journal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY I HAVEN'T UPDATED IN OVER TWO MONTHS OMG. 
> 
> School and then work...work is awful...ugh, don't work in the food industry like ever..and then I got sick and now I'm trying to catch up on a bunch of stuff I missed. Plus, I'm starting a new fic! It's Riren, of course, and it'll hopefully be out in a few weeks if everything calms down. I'm still working on the first chapter and I want to get quite a few done before I actually start posting so I don't fall behind like I do with this fic. It's gonna be great! Sorry for the crappy writing in this chapter, I've been feeling kind of uninspired for Kitty Love right now..
> 
> Election Update: I'm so disappointed in America. This cannot be happening ugh...
> 
> Feel free to ask questions about my new fic below :) I'll answer whatever I can and I love talking to you guys. BTW, I have slots open for RP if anyone is interested!

Darius Zackley had not made his move. Nor, would he. 

Erwin had been looking into different policies and the different powers Darius Zackley held, even while acting as the ring leader during this war. He, in essence, had no control over the Survey Corps. He had no way of controlling or knowing about Eren, Armin, or even Mikasa's presence. The only thing he could do was favor the Military Police over the survey corps to Erwin's displeasure. The war would not make any progress until Darius Zackley was gone. 

Erwin was trying to formulate a plan, Levi included in it (but without much say.) But..there was nothing they could do without upsetting the general public and losing all support for the Scouts all together. There was seemingly no solution. 

Levi and Erwin worked long hours, even Hanji as well. Sometimes, they'd all work 12 hour days and well into the night, leaving their three kittens in Ilse's care most of the time. Levi felt much better about it now that Jean was playing nice. Ilse was strange, but...harmless. 

Eren was almost two months along at this point. There was a slight curve of his stomach, but nothing very noticeable, much to Eren's dismay, especially when he compared himself to Armin. Armin only had about a month left, give or take a week. Erwin seemed unusually calm, despite the fact that they had absolutely nothing prepared. Armin, on the other hand, was a constant, jittery mess.  Eren and Mikasa had given up on trying to calm the boy, knowing there would be no hope of peace until Armin actually gave birth. Which, of course, was Armin's greatest fear. 

Eren and Levi had nothing prepared either, but the raven man had, in his free time, begun to build a crib. He was glad he'd started early because in all honesty, he had almost no free time at all. The free time he did have, he was sleeping, eating, or taking Eren to the infirmary for check ups and making sure he was comfortable. He didn't mind that, though, he only wished he had more time to spend with the kitten, especially now that it would no longer be just the two of them soon enough.

Eren's pregnancy had been going quite smoothly...Besides the nearly constant puking. It made Levi feel absolutely terrible, and Eren could definitely say he didn't enjoy it...But, he told Levi time and time again that he would go through it as much as he had to. Considering how his last pregnancy had so abruptly ended, anything was better than miscarrying again. And at least when he was over emotional or puking, Levi was spoiling him when he could. 

The only other setback was that Eren was very tired;  **always** tired. He was constantly napping whenever he could, which wasn't unlike a neko, anyways..Before, Eren had been at least taking one nap a day, but now, he was probably taking three or four. It made things worse that Levi had to pick him up late after he and Erwin were finished working. He tried to keep Eren at the base with Armin and Mikasa when he knew he would be stuck doing meetings and paperwork late, but often times, it was unexpected or he would have to go out of town. He hated taking any time away from Eren when the boy should be resting...Eren didn't need any more stress. 

And he still didn't know that Zackley had wanted him out of the barracks, but Armin knew. He'd been smart enough to figure it out and reluctantly agreed to keep it from Eren upon Levi's wishes. He knew Armin hated keeping things from his friend, but Levi had explained to Armin the benefits of keeping excess stress away from Eren to sway the kitten. 

He was only lucky it worked. He was sure Mikasa must know by now as well, but she hadn't said anything to Eren either.

Levi pulled the reins on his horse, ushering it to halt in front of Ilse's shelter, Erwin stopping his steed just behind him. Hanji had picked Mikasa up hours ago since Mikasa often didn't join Eren and Armin at the shelter and when she did, she hated it. She wanted to be with the other two kittens, but she always complained she hated the other little snot nosed brats there and honestly, it hurt Levi to admit it, but he saw a piece of himself in Mikasa. He didn't really like others either, his little circle of acquaintances and Eren were as far as he'd go, of course, not including their children. 

He dismounted his horse, tying her reins tightly to the fence post and giving her nose a quick rub, murmuring that he'd be back in just a moment and catching Erwin snort at his actions. The shorter only glared in return before turning to knock on Ilse's door, impatiently tapping his foot before it opened quietly and slowly. 

"Captain," she spoke, nodding as she stepped back to allow him inside, Erwin not far behind. "Commander." She nodded to Erwin as well in greeting. "They're both sleeping." She looked over toward a corner of the room that was piled with blankets and pillows, Armin and Eren snuggled up beside each other like usual. 

"Mh.." Levi nodded, not very much surprised at all as he glanced over at the clock. It was almost 10, after all. He strode over with quiet steps, ignoring the looks of the few nekos that were still awake. He knelt down next to his kitten, a hesitant finger moving to graze over Eren's rosy cheek, but the boy didn't stir. "He's out cold," Levi murmured, glancing back at Erwin before he was gently gathering Eren against himself, careful not to jostle him too much. 

Erwin had opted to wake Armin before hoisting him up into his arms so he wouldn't startle the kitten awake, but luckily Levi didn't have to worry about that since Eren slept like a rock. 

"Did he stay out of trouble today?" Levi asked Ilse quietly as he turned, adjusting his arms around Eren as the kitten shifted and twisted his hands into Levi's shirt, but didn't wake. 

"He was perfectly fine. Wore himself out running around the yard with the others," Ilse explained quietly, fidgeting ever so slightly. "You're bringing him home? Back to the barracks?"

"Where..else would I bring him?" Levi questioned, shaking his head as he glanced at the woman. "Never mind. Just make sure he doesn't get hurt when he plays with the others," Levi reminded her, dismissing her odd question. Ilse was always strange towards them. She didn't seem to know how to interact with people at all, only nekos and that journal of hers, which Levi was surprised she didn't have with her right now. 

"Of course.." Ilse replied. "See you- never mind. Have a nice night, Captain. You too, Commander." 

Levi's brow raised as he watched Ilse before he focused his attention on Eren's sleeping face again, too distracted by his own kitten to care about anything else. He took quiet steps toward the door, exiting and holding it open for Erwin so the man could exit with his own kitten as well. 

"She's the definition of a crazy cat lady, you know," Erwin scoffed as they walked down the cobblestone walkway. 

"Tch. Tell me about it," Levi replied. He mounted his horse with efficient grace, Eren still steady in his arms and pressed safely against his chest to keep him from the cool night air. "Come on, let's get going before he wakes up." 

He brought his horse to a gentle halt in front of the stables once they arrived, glancing down at the green eyes staring up at him tiredly.

"How long have you been awake?" Levi questioned the kitten quietly.

"Just..woke up," Eren yawned, stretching in Levi's arms before curling against the man once more. "Where are we, Levy?"

"We're home," Levi assured the kitten as he gently swung his leg over his horse to dismount. "I didn't mean to wake you. Just let me put the horse up and then I'll take you to our room." He took the horse by the reins with one hand, leading it into the stable while his free arm stayed tightly curled around Eren to keep the kitten against him.  

"How long have we been here?" Eren murmured, nuzzling his cheek against Levi's chest. 

"Just got here..I was hoping you'd just stay asleep through the night," Levi mumbled as he handed the reins of his horse off to a soldier that quickly rushed over, prepared to care for the horses late now that the Commander and Captain before him almost never got in before 10pm. 

"I wake up at just the right time, don't I?" Eren asked, closing his eyes again and smirking as he tried to burrow himself deeper into Levi's arms to keep warm. "Wished I could've waited till we were inside, though.." He admitted. 

"You shouldn't even be trying to complain you're cold when you're stealing all my warmth," Levi huffed, trying to sound annoyed, but his tone was soft and almost playful as he nodded a thank you to the soldier, then to Erwin as a goodbye. He really didn't mind taking care of his own horse, in fact, he rather enjoyed it at times. It was peaceful and she was quite beautiful, but right now, he had more important things to tend to...Like getting a certain kitten to bed. After all, it was his fault Eren was awake now anyway. 

"What warmth?" Eren yawned, tiny fist curling into Levi's shirt. "You're never warm.." 

"You're like a fucking heater, that's why you think I'm not warm," Levi mumbled as he brought the kitten inside the base and upstairs towards the barracks. Eren was always exceptionally warm due to his neko status, but to be honest, in the winter months, Levi really couldn't complain. It was in the summer that Levi would wake up covered in sweat with Eren lying on his chest. But even then, he'd never complain. 

Eren kicked his legs at the older and Levi tightened his grip on the kitten. "Watch it, I'll drop you," the captain warned. 

"As if," Eren stated as though he was uninterested, simply curling up once more as Levi brought them down the hall leading to their room. Levi let his eyes roll up to the ceiling; he knew Eren would never take him seriously about anything like that. He managed to open the door with one hand, bringing Eren into the room and shutting the door closed behind him with his foot. The floor creaked as he made his way through the dark and over to the bed, lowering Eren down until he was inches from the surface and he let go, dropping Eren into the pillows and making the kitten gasp. 

"I told you I'd drop you," Levi reminded, hovering over the brunette and pushing a few stray hands of hair away form his wide eyes.   
  
"I thought your goal was to get me back to sleep, not scare me awake!" Eren snapped, hitting Levi's shoulder with probably all the force he could muster, but obviously Levi didn't even blink, leaning down to hover his lips over Eren's. 

"Mh..Forgive me," Levi murmured, lips itching to twitch into a smirk at Eren's reaction. 

"Maybe," Eren grumbled, pressing his nose up against Levi's. "I'm pregnant, you're supposed to be nice to me.."

"I carried you all the way up here," Levi reminded. "Is that not nice?"

"It's your job to carry me up here if I'm sleepy and pregnant, it doesn't even count as being nice," Eren reached up to squeeze Levi's cheeks. 

"Mhm," Levi hummed in agreement. "How right you are, I'm such a fool," he murmured mockingly. 

"You are.." Eren agreed, smushing Levi's cheeks together. 

"Forgive me.." Levi managed out with his pressed together cheeks and puckered lips. 

"Fine," Eren agreed rather quickly, pulling Levi down to kiss his lips before he released Levi's cheeks. 

"Mh. Thank you," Levi said, leaning down to give Eren another kiss. He tucked his face into Eren's neck and pressed kisses there, making the ticklish kitten laugh and try to push Levi off. His arms wrapped around Eren to keep the kitten pressed against him, intent to keep Eren there until he was sure the boy had laughed himself breathless. The man could feel tears against his neck and breathy, hitched laughs that came out as hysterical squeals from between Eren's lips. He finally took that as his cue to stop, pulling away, even a bit breathless himself. 

Eren's chest was heaving, bursts of giggles still escaping as the kitten tried to wind down and his hands came up to clumsily wipe away the tears escaping him from laughing so hard. "Levi-" the kitten breathed, his hands finding Levi's to keep the man from tickling him again. "Have mercy on me." 

Levi's hand slipped from Eren's to come up and wipe away the tears from Eren's reddened cheeks. "Although I love seeing you laugh, I shouldn't have gotten you so wound up when you should be sleeping," Levi admitted. "You're safe for now." 

"Mh-" Eren let out a few more giggles. "Thank you." 

"You'll never go to sleep now, will you?" Levi asked the kitten, a sigh evident in his voice as he picked Eren up to settle him higher on the bed and leaned him against the pillows comfortably. 

"No," Eren laughed, but his voice was still sleepy. "I won't." He was giggly, but Levi's tickling had probably taken the last of his energy. "Unless you lie down with me." 

"Mh." Levi brushed Eren's hair away from his dampened forehead. "Of course I will. But I have to bathe and change first," he reminded the kitten. "Why don't you stay here and rest until I join you?" Levi asked, but from the looks of it, Eren wouldn't be able to wait for Levi before he fell asleep. 

"Yeah.." Eren whispered, one small hand coming up to cup Levi's chin. "I'll wait right here," he assured the man. Levi kissed Eren's forehead in reply as a goodnight since he knew he probably wouldn't see Eren awake again until morning. 

"Alright. Don't wait up too late," he reminded as he pulled away reluctantly. He could've laid down and slept with Eren right then and there and of course, he longed to. He longed to watch Eren fall asleep and curl around him until he himself fell asleep as well, but he was absolutely filthy and it wasn't right of him to sleep in their bed that way, especially considering the germs and filth that could so easily affect Eren and the unborn baby within him. Maybe Levi was being paranoid, but personal hygiene was of utmost importance while he was with Eren. 

He turned on his heel, heading to the washroom in silence. He couldn't help but glance once or twice over his shoulder at Eren, who'd already closed his eyes. 

The water in his bath was lukewarm, but warm enough to at least make him feel semi-clean, any dirt or sweat scrubbed intently from his skin with a loofa, despite the fact he was barely dirty in the first place. The only reason there was any filth in the first place was because he kept up with his morning training. Aside from that, his job right now was just paperwork and a shit ton of headaches.

He honestly wished he could leave; he didn't want this life anymore. He was too old and too tired, and he had more important things to focus on. 

A part of himself wished that he had a normal job. He could be a farmer or a blacksmith, even just a mill worker and he could provide a small house for him and Eren and their family. He wouldn't have as much money, but he'd have more time and energy, and he wouldn't have to worry about dying and leaving Eren behind every damn second. 

Before, he hadn't minded the mind numbing duties of being a captain. But now, it was different. His mind couldn't be numb when he had a family to think about. But he owed humanity this and he owed Erwin this, not to mention Farlan and Isabel as well. 

In a way, it was almost selfish for him to have taken in Eren and started a family with him. He was letting down both humanity and Eren due to the fact he couldn't direct his attention fully to either of them. It wasn't fair. 

But, he'd never have let someone else have Eren; never in a million years. Eren was his and so was their coming child even if Levi couldn't be the best father. He was too selfish to let them go, or maybe Eren would've refused to go as well. They belonged together, there was no doubt about it. The sad thing was, Levi was sure somebody could be taking much better care of Eren than he was at the moment. 

The raven was quick to rinse off the suds of soap sticking to his skin, shaking his head in silence to himself as he tried to get rid of the thought. He didn't need to think this way about such things, especially not at a time like this. Eren loved him and he knew that, why did he need to doubt himself?

The stress was beginning to eat away at him, especially as Eren's pregnancy continued progressing and the war efforts were spiraling downwards faster than he expected, despite their efforts to keep everything under control. Even Levi, humanity's strongest, couldn't avoid the thoughts of impending doom when there was so much at stake to lose. He bowled off half-assedly, not bothering with his soaking hair as he returned to the connecting room where, like he guessed,  Eren was fast asleep. A sigh of half relief, but also half disappointment escaped him. He wanted to spend a little more time with Eren, despite how late it really was. 

The only reason Levi opted for pajamas and not just a pair of underwear was because of the slight chilliness of the room that wasn't usually there; he needed to tell someone to seal up the windows properly because if Eren woke up cold, he wouldn't be very happy. 

He sank into the bed, pulling Eren against himself and gathering what little blanket he could for himself. He wasn't very successful since Eren was completely wrapped in them, but Levi didn't necessarily mind until it would be unbearably cold in the room. Eren, since he was a neko, got cold much easier than Levi did. Despite the fact the room was only a couple of degrees below normal, Levi knew the kitten would be shivering without the blankets and Levi's body heat against him.  

Eren let out a little sigh of relief, still sound asleep as Levi curled around his small body with his own larger one. His hands rubbed up and down Eren's back, cheek resting on the top of the kitten's head as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to be coaxed into sleep by Eren's soft breathing. 

The shattering sound pierced his ears, glass breaking and high pitched screaming pulling at him and drawing him closer to a state of awakening, lips opening and gasping and eyes snapping open, his body forcing itself up and his fists balling up instinctively even though he wasn't even sure what was happening yet, if he was even really awake. His tired eyes focused just a second too late, a hand wrapping around his throat and he made out a face, the constriction of his airway assuring him that this wasn't a dream. 

His hands were quick to perform a maneuver to get the attacker off him, motions instinctual and fluid, having happened even before Levi realized he was being choked. The sound of loud voices filled the room and he realized there was not only one man in the room, but two. From what Levi could make out of the dart images of their faces, he didn't recognize either one of them. He could hear screaming and he realized the high pitched scream that had woken him from his sleep was from Eren, still next to him on the bed, but no longer sleeping peacefully. 

"Ere-" It wouldn't be a problem for Levi to take on two men at a time, even if it was a sneak attack, but now he realized there must be two men not for him, but one for him and one for Eren. He had to protect Eren. 

He wanted to yell for Eren to run, but one of the men took a swing at him, leaving Levi barely any time to dodge it and dive for his pillow, pulling out the dagger hidden beneath it. But these men didn't have weapons; they weren't here to kill them. They wanted something else. Whatever it was, Levi wouldn't give it to them. 

He lunged, aiming his dagger skillfully even in the dark, practically dancing with the man who had been attacking him from the beginning. There was no time to talk or ask what they wanted, he could only fight. The unnamed man dodged nearly every blow, the ones that did manage to strike him not being enough damage to slow him down. These men obviously had training. 

For some reason, Levi assumed that Eren had managed to run out, but when he realized the door had neither opened, nor closed, he knew Eren was still inside the room. He could hear the kitten screaming for him and he turned his head, catching sight of the second man in the room that had nearly been forgotten due to his squabble with the first. The second man had grabbed Eren - Levi wasn't quite sure what was happening. The man was grabbing at Eren and shaking him roughly when he struggled, yelling for Eren to stop his attempts to escape as the man tried to gather him into his arms. 

"Get off him!" Levi shouted, whipping around to take out the man with his elbow, feeling the man's nose crack beneath his funny bone. The attacker stumbled, his hold on Eren letting up enough for the kitten to pry himself away from the man and drop onto the floor. It took him a second to register he was free, scrambling on the floor to get beneath the bed.

Levi let out a breath of relief that was cut short when he felt a blow to the side of his head, immediately rendering him useless for a few seconds, his vision black and spotty and the dagger clattering to the floor. He began to lunge in retaliation when the attacker he'd elbowed just seconds before wrapped his arm around Levi's neck, pulling him back and tightening his hold enough to make the man gag. Levi kicked behind himself, making the man grunt, but not release him as the other attacker landed a blow in Levi's stomach to stop his kicking. 

The captain coughed, grunting and struggling, practically wrestling with the men that were struggling to contain him.   
  
"Kill him, just kill him!" The man holding him by the throat shouted.   
  
"We can't kill him, that wasn't what we were sent here to do!" The second man shouted.

"I don't care, just kill him already, dammit, I can't hold onto him much longer!" Came the reply, arm tightening around Levi's throat to try and keep the raven contained. 

Eren shook, watching the scramble of feet from beneath the bed as loud wails ripped through him. He was sure this was just a nightmare, it had to be a nightmare. Right? He kept choking on his sobs, watching the two sets of larger, shoed feet seem to stomp harder and faster as they brawled with Levi, the movement of Levi's bare, ghostly white feet on the cold floor beginning to slow as he was overpowered. 

"Run! Eren, run!" Levi was shouting, barely audible as the nightstand and the oil lamp were knocked over, the small flickering flame being smothered out easily and leaving them with only moonlight to go by. 

The kitten could only shake and watch, unmoving. He was terrified and he knew he should get help, but these men were thinking about killing Levi. If they killed Levi before Eren came back with help in time...

He couldn't leave, Levi was in danger and he had to do something. He kept shaking, still frozen until he caught the glimmer of the dagger on the floor, seemingly going unnoticed by the two men struggling with Levi. The kitten forced his trembling hands to push himself up and he dove out from under the bed, gripping the dagger with one hand as his other reached for one of the men's legs. He wrapped his arm around it, curling his body around the attacker's shin as the hand holding the dagger somehow ceased its shaking enough to swing, sliding right through the man's flesh and making a clean cut right through the achilles tendon. It seemed like everything was moving in slow motion as he watched the man's leg give out as the tendon snapped, the leg going limp and a loud cry of anguish escaping him. 

The man was barely able to stay up, leg shaking as blood poured from the wound and he let go of Levi, allowing the man to escape his hold and get a hit on the uninjured man to get him away. Eren stayed holding onto the wounded man's leg to try and keep him at bay, his eyes squeezed shut as he heard profanities of pain and anger being screamed from above him. 

"Fucking-cat!" The man screamed out in pain, stumbling and trying to shake Eren off, but the kitten was holding on tight, and he surely wasn't about to let go. The man seemed to realize this. 

With the energy he had left in him, he kicked his leg up with as much force as he could, forcing Eren's grip to release. He felt his fingers slip from the man's bloody leg and he let out a blood-curdling scream as he was thrown into the air, his scream cut off by a loud thud. He hit the wall first, then the floor. 

After that, there was only silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm..Any guesses as to what happens next? Comment below! :) I'll give shout outs to anyone who figures out what's going on/what's happening. Sorry for the cliffhanger! (No I'm not)
> 
> Don't forget to ask questions about my new fanfic below or comments about anything else :) I'll reply to pretty much every comment I can since I've basically ignored this fic for two months :'( sorry Erebears


	29. Update + Author's note (I AM STILL UPDATING, I PROMISE)

Hi guys, Ambrxiary here. I'm so sorry I haven't updated in two months (I deserve to be punished). I know I've gone a long time without updating before, but never this long. I had just sort of pushed it aside and I hadn't realized how long it had been. I tried to finish up the chapter I was working on the other day and...I'm so dumb..and it got deleted. I had written so much and I'm so mad..It was my own fault though. I just feel bad because I left you guys on such a cliffhanger!! People keep asking me if I've abandoned this work and no no no!! Never!! I'm sorry. 

I will get the chapter up as soon as I can..It's just so annoying to have to rewrite everything I lost..But I'll get it done. I have a lot more story ideas and I wish I had more time to write. And I'm sorry if I haven't replied to any emails or tumblr asks lately, sometimes I just don't see the notifications. Feel free to Email me or message me with any questions or comments! Just comment down below if you've emailed me/sent me an ask so that I know to reply.   
  
Thank you guys for being so patient, I love you guys. 

Also, it's been a year since this story began!! Wow..that's crazy.. Thanks for sticking with me for so long <3


	30. The Journal (part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg..finally..sorry for making you guys wait so long!!! 
> 
> Also, I have one slot left for RP so if anyone is interested in being the Levi to my Eren, let me know! 
> 
> Please leave questions and comments below :)

Levi froze for a moment, time seemingly going by in slow motion as he heard the loud thud, then saw Eren on the ground. So many thoughts were running through his head, mind clouded with worry over Eren, their unborn child, and the men that still posed a threat to them. He had to do something, anything to get to Eren and make sure he was alright. He had to be alright. 

His arm was around the man he was fighting's neck, the other man already collapsed on the floor in pain as he held his severely bleeding ankle. The intruder in Levi's grasp struggled, but now Levi was determined and more than anything, he was  **furious**. He swung the man in his grasp around, letting go to let him crash into the night stand by the bed, crushing it immediately with his weight. The man was far from well enough to get up after that blow, but Levi wasn't a man of mercy. His foot came down, smashing into the man's face once, twice, then a third time before he picked up a leg of the smashed nightstand, bludgeoning the man's head repeatedly until he heard the weeping of pain from the other man. The man who had hurt his Eren, the man who had hurt his Bear. 

The leg of the nightstand already bloodied with the first man's blood shook in Levi's hand before he whipped it across the second intruder's face, hearing the swift crack of the man's nose as blood spurted from his nostrils and he cried out in pain. He was quickly silenced by another blow, then another. 

Levi didn't know how many he'd delivered before the leg of the nightstand snapped in half upon the last impact, causing the raven haired man to snap out of his rage. He dropped the broken table leg on the unconscious (or possibly dead) man's body, looking around the room until he spotted Eren in the same position he was in after he was hit. He was still on the floor, face down and unmoving. 

Levi felt like he couldn't get to Eren fast enough even though he'd practically leapt across the room, knelt beside the kitten in a matter of seconds. 

"Eren." His hand gently ran across Eren's back, feeling the relieving rise and fall of his breathing. He knew the blow wasn't enough to kill Eren. No. Actually, he didn't. He didn't know what could kill Eren, he just knew the kitten was fragile. It terrified him to know that something like this really could kill Eren. 

The kitten shifted slightly, letting out some kind of whining hum of acknowledgment at Levi's voice as he turned his head toward the man. 

"Don't move," Levi spoke, concerned that Eren could have some kind of serious injury. "Just stay still." There was desperation in his voice as his hand moved up and down Eren's back and to his neck, feeling that nothing was out of place and he let out a breath of relief when he was sure that there were no injuries in the area. "Alright, come on," He whispered, more to himself than to Eren. He gently turned the kitten over, lifting him up slowly, like he was afraid he would break the boy. He could hear commotion in the halls outside their room, most likely from soldiers that had heard the commotion and were trying to find out where it was coming from. 

Levi glanced back at the men on the floor, resisting the urge to turn back and kill them..That is, unless they were already dead. But Eren was so much more important to him than revenge and besides, the men needed to be questioned. 

Levi already had a guess of who planned this. 

He stood carefully, managing the door open with only one hand before he stormed out into the hallway. "In there! Don't your goddamn ears work enough to hear where intruders are?" Levi barked at the scrambling soldiers, hiding his emotion with anger and intensity. "Take care of it, now!" He was marching off down the corridor quickly, guided only by the light of the torches lining the walls as he tried to quickly, but carefully make his way down to the infirmary. 

"Levi?" Eren asked, voice quiet and almost sleepy. Levi hadn't even realized the kitten was actually awake. 

"Yeah? Don't worry, you're alright..don't worry," Levi said quietly, voice breathy as he spoke. 

"Where are we going?" Eren asked, closing his eyes again and furrowing his brows. "Where are those men..?"

"They're gone. Don't worry about them, Eren. We're going to the infirmary," Levi assured his kitten. "Keep your eyes open for me, alright?" 

"Why?" Eren nearly whined, eyes still closed tightly and eyelids twitching as he thought about opening them up again, mind foggy and he was just more confused than anything. "What's happening, Levy?"

"Nothing," Levi said, voice snappy and it was obvious he was on edge, sick with worry and he didn't know how to handle this. He didn't know what to tell Eren because he really had no idea what was happening..It was still sinking in for him what had just happened, why he was holding Eren in his arms and taking him to the infirmary and why his knuckles were split and bleeding. "Open your eyes, Eren. Please." His voice was firm, yet desperate as he pushed the door to the infirmary open with his shoulder. "I need a fucking doctor!" He shouted into the room once he had entered, a startled nurse calling for one of the night doctors on duty. "Go get doctor Rusele. Now," he demanded of the nurse. She didn't hesitate to obey the captain, rushing out of the room. 

A doctor Levi had seen once or twice around the base entered the room and Levi didn't care that he didn't know the man very well, he just wanted somebody to help Eren."You. Help him. Now," the raven haired man demanded of the doctor. 

"Set him down in here." The doctor pulled back a curtain to reveal one of the more private areas of the infirmary and Levi walked swiftly past the man, setting Eren down on the cot but not quite letting go of him. "What happened to him?"

"He fell," Levi lied, not feeling like explaining. "It doesn't matter. He fell and he's hurt." 

The unknown doctor looked at Levi strangely for a brief moment before deciding not to question it, simply rummaging through a medical bag and taking out a stethoscope so he could listen to Eren's heart and breathing, turning the kitten over gently after to press the stethoscope to his back and even though Eren's eyes were closed, he still managed a wince. 

Levi watched stiffly, swallowing any complaints he had about the doctor hurting Eren because he knew this was what needed to be done. He was sure Eren wasn't quite awake enough to comprehend any of this, anyway.

He watched the doctor press Eren's muscles and joints and move his arms and legs for a few minutes, checking the kitten for injury until finally Dr. Rusele arrived, still in pajamas, but a clean lab coat over them. His eyes were red and hair ruffled from sleep, but he didn't seem hesitant to step in and help. 

For some reason, this time the doctors didn't ask Levi to leave the room. He hoped that was a good sign. He plopped down in a wooden chair by the door, rubbing his face as he watched the doctors poke and prod at his kitten for quite a lengthy period of time. Levi was about to complain when Dr. Rusele finally turned to him. 

"Nothing's broken," the abruptly awoken doctor spoke and Levi let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. 

"Is he going to be alright? And the - you know - the kid? Will it be alright?" Levi murmured, looking sternly at the man. 

"I can't say for sure," Dr. Rusele said, but he didn't sound saddened or worried in any way. "There's no guarantee, but from what I see here the force of impact wasn't enough to do serious damage. He'll have some severe bruising here.." Dr. Rusele turned Eren over slightly, pulling up his shirt and gently gesturing to the reddened expanse of his back. "And he'll have some swelling and a minor concussion here." Dr. Rusele gently cupped the back of Eren's head. "It's likely that's what is causing the drowsiness. I can't say for sure about the fetus because I don't know the extend of the damage, but we'll monitor him for a few days and it looks fine so far," Dr. Rusele assured him quietly. He definitely couldn't make any promises because different peoples' bodies were sometimes unpredictable, but he could at least provide some reassurance. 

Levi rubbed his face again, trying not to let out all of his pent up stress and emotion but he felt a sense of relief. He was still worried, but more relieved than he expected to be. No matter what, Eren was fine. But he was still worried about their brat. And even more worried about what it would do to Eren if they happened to have another miscarriage...it would most likely destroy the kitten completely and Levi couldn't watch that again. He just couldn't. "Is there anything we can do to help him..?"

"Just ice. We'll ice the areas and keep him comfortable and when he starts to come to, we have to make sure he stays that way so we can assess if anything else is wrong.." Dr. Rusele began wrapping up Eren's head to keep the swelling down while the other doctor gently placed icepacks along Eren's back, keeping the kitten turned on his side. 

That wasn't much of an answer, but it was better than nothing, at least...Levi wanted to do more, but he knew he couldn't. Not right now, anyway. 

He moved the chair over to the edge of Eren's bed once Dr. Rusele and the other man had finally finished and moved away. He tucked the blanket up around Eren, taking his hand in his own larger one while his other hand moved to rest gently beneath Eren's head. "Wake up.." He begged quietly, leaning in close. "Eren."

"He might not be up for a while...Let either of us know if you see any change," The unnamed doctor said and Levi ignored him as the two men left through the curtain to give Levi some privacy. 

Unfortunately, it wasn't long, maybe an hour or so of sitting there before he heard footsteps and he looked up, still not moving away from Eren. 

"They got into my room, too." Erwin took a few steps in before sitting down at the foot of Eren's bed and Levi's frown deepened as he concentrated on Eren once more. 

"Were you or Armin hurt..?" Levi asked, brow twitching as he concentrated on his resting kitten. 

"We weren't in at the moment. I had to run out and do some late night business with some men at the tavern..I'd left Armin with Hanji and Mikasa.." Erwin let out a breath, rubbing his temples. "I'd almost let him stay in our room alone, but I decided last minute that I wasn't comfortable with it.." He swallowed thickly. "That could've gotten very bad, very quickly.."

"Like this isn't already fucking bad, Erwin. Props to you for being the luckiest bastard alive and making good decisions. Armin isn't the one in the infirmary right now, it's Eren. Of course you don't understand that this is bad.." Levi scoffed angrily, squeezing Eren's hand tighter. 

"I'm sorry," Erwin quickly apologized. "I didn't mean it like that. "I truly can't understand your suffering right now so I won't pretend that I do understand it.." The commander admitted. He'd never been through anything like this with Armin and he could only thank god that he didn't have to. "The doctors told me he'd be alright, at least.."

"Alright? You think he's alright? If he turns out to be physically alright he'll be fucking traumatized.." Levi lowered his head, wincing at the memory of what had happened. The men, the knife - Eren coming out of no where and...saving his life. He wouldn't have been able to disarm and take down both men at the same time had Eren not provided that distraction to save him. He was surprised that he'd only escaped with split knuckles and a few bruises...but at what cost? He brushed Eren's hair away from his face, making the kitten's nose twitch.

"Levi.." Erwin sighed. "I'm sorry." It was all he could say to the man. "I am. You shouldn't have to go through such things while you and Eren are preparing for a family..you've been through enough.." Erwin looked at the man, sighing deeply once more. "I'm going to have all your things moved tomorrow into a higher secured room...you don't have to worry about anything, it'll all be taken care of."

Levi grit his teeth at that, the thought of other people handling his things making him want to go crazy, but he knew he didn't have a choice. He couldn't move all that stuff himself, especially not when he had to be here with Eren. "I know who did this." 

Erwin swallowed thickly. "Yes, I think you and I have the same idea of the mastermind behind this..After all, Zackley did say that he..wanted Eren and Armin gone. I didn't think he'd go this far...I was stupid, I allowed myself too much slack." 

Levi was tempted to agree, but he didn't say anything, taking another deep breath. "And I think you should know that..this was found on one of the attackers.." Erwin dug through his jacket pocket before pulling out a small book. No - a journal. 

"Ilse.." Levi hissed through his teeth in disbelief. "That - how could she have - I'd been trusting her with Eren this whole time!" Levi shouted angrily, shaking as he tried to hold in some of his frustration to avoid disturbing the patients in the infirmary. 

"I trusted her too.." Erwin admitted, gaze dark as it scanned over the journal. "Have a look.." he handed the book to Levi and the raven man carefully pulled his hands away from Eren to take the item, flipping through the pages. It was filled  with various notes and things at the beginning about what each kitten liked and certain things they needed - but then the pages for Eren and Armin came up maybe 1/4 of the way through the book. It was page, after page, after page of notes about Eren and Armin. Their weaknesses. Their strengths. The positions they slept in. How long they slept. When they slept. How strong they were. How fast they were. What kinds of foods they usually ate - pretty much everything. And not only were Eren and Armin in the notes, but Erwin and Levi as well. She'd been taking note of their weaknesses, like what days they seemed the most tired after training...It was probably the most thorough set of reports he'd ever read. The entire rest of the journal was filled with these notes on the four of them and Levi couldn't help but shudder. 

"What a fucking sicko.." Levi whispered. "She always seemed off to me but how would I- how could I expect this..?" He asked. "I should've never trusted her with Eren and- but how did Zackley get his hands on this, exactly?" 

"Paid her a pretty good amount..We sent a set of officers out to retrieve her and they said there was a stash of cash beneath her mattress...She'll be put in a holding cell tonight. We can question her later."

"I can't believe this.." Levi whispered. "It's my fault. This is my fault. I'm the one who brought Eren to her in the first place...fuck, I shouldn't have fucking trusted her.."

"Levi, there was no way you could've known. I didn't know either, alright?" Erwin reminded.

"Levy?" A small voice came along with the twitching of eyelids. 

"Eren." Levi leaned in, quickly taking the kitten's hand again and cupping his cheek. "Eren, can you hear me? Open your eyes for me.." 

"I can't..it's too bright.." Eren murmured groggily and Erwin stood before Levi could even ask, switching off the oil lamps in the room, only leaving one for a dim light. Eren finally opened his eyes, green orbs glossy and glowing, yet tired looking. "Levy.."

"Yeah. I'm right here.." Levi assured him, leaning in to press their foreheads together gently. Eren brought his hands up, rubbing at his eyes so he could try and wake up more. 

"Where am I..?" Eren asked quietly, looking into the darkness of the room. 

"The infirmary.." Levi reminded, kissing the kitten's forehead lightly. "You're alright. It's alright," he murmured against Eren's skin, pulling away after a moment to look at him. 

"I-I know.." Eren whispered, blinking a few times. But if he was being honest with himself, he didn't know, really. He had to take a second to remember what had happened. "Oh, Levy...where..what happened to - who were they?" 

"Shh..Stay calm," Levi immediately hushed the kitten, not wanting him to get upset. "They've been taken into custody.." Levi looked to Erwin for confirmation, and the blonde man nodded. 

"Yes, they have been taken into custody. They'll be spending the night in the dungeons. Ilse, too," Erwin promised. 

"Ilse...what...?" Eren asked, shaking his head. 

"We'll talk about it later," Levi assured him. "For now, just rest.." He looked to Erwin and the commander got the hint, standing up and giving them a nod.

"I'll be in to check on you in the morning," Erwin promised before heading out.

Eren huffed, wanting to know more about the situation, but his head was spinning. "I'm dizzy," he said quietly, looking up at Levi. 

"Yeah.." Levi ran a hand through Eren's hair. "I know, Bear...I'm sorry." 

"Don't be.." Eren said quickly, frowning at Levi's words. "Why would you be? S'not your fault.."

"It is my fault. It's always my fault when you end up here, isn't it?" Levi murmured, avoiding Eren's eyes as his lip twitched with anger. He was furious with himself. 

"No. Not any time...It's never been your fault. I don't know how you think you could control these kinds of things.." Eren took Levi's hand. "You're strong, but not strong enough to control the whole world."

"I should be strong enough to protect you and the life I put in you," Levi reminded, squeezing Eren's hand to keep himself calm. 

"Is the- is it...dead..?" Eren asked in horror at Levi's words. 

"No-no! No, it's not," Levi quickly assured him. "It's not. There haven't been any signs of damage to it, alright? Don't panic.." Levi murmured, shaking his head. "It's alright."

Eren let out a breath of relief, closing his eyes. "You made it sound like...like it wasn't okay.."

"I-it's fine.." Levi assured him. For now, at least it was. "But what happened to you wasn't fine. You could've been seriously injured or lost the baby...Why...why did you do that, Eren?" Levi asked quietly 

"Why did I do what?" Eren asked, but he knew what Levi was talking about. The kitten bit his lip nervously, looking up at Levi. 

"You know.." Levi whispered sternly. "You put yourself at risk..You shouldn't have done it, Eren.."

"Those men were hurting you, Levi," Eren croaked. "They were talking about killing you."

"It doesn't matter! They could've killed you!" Levi couldn't help but snap and Eren teared up. 

"But they didn't! They didn't kill me and they didn't kill you because I did something about it! I couldn't just sit there and watch!" Eren shouted back at the man, shaking slightly. 

Levi sighed, rubbing his eyes when he saw how he'd made things escalate. "Don't cry.." He mumbled to his kitten. "Eren, you just...what am I going to do with you?" Levi whispered, leaning over to wrap his arms around the kitten and hold him close. "How am I supposed to keep you safe when you do such things..?"

"It's just as much my job for me to keep you safe as it is your job to keep me safe," Eren whispered, rubbing at his eyes furiously as he pressed his face into Levi's chest. "They would've killed you and then what would I do? I'd be all alone," Eren whimpered, rubbing his face against Levi's shirt and Levi's arms tightened around him, but still stayed gentle. 

"I'm sorry..." Levi whispered, lowering his face into Eren's hair. "You shouldn't have to be scared like that...I'll make sure that you're never scared like that again.." Levi murmured.  "You saved my life and I should be grateful...You just managed to scare the shit out of me in the process.." Levi sighed, kissing the top of Eren's head several times. 

Eren let out a slightly breathy laugh through his tears. "Isn't that my job?" 

"I suppose you've made it your job, hm?" Levi teased. Eren had definitely caused the man to lose a few years off his life from the stress of worrying about him. 

"I suppose so," Eren agreed, sniffling. "I don't even remember making the decision to take action, I just..my body acted on its own.." He admitted. 

"Well, you saved my life..You were very brave, Eren," Levi whispered. Too brave, even. "Where did you even learn to be so good with a knife..?" 

"I've seen you spar...and Hanji's given me plenty of anatomy lessons.." Eren shrugged slightly as though unfazed by Levi's words, but he was secretly blushing. "You're really proud? You're not mad?"

"Of course I'm proud..And I'm a little mad..." Levi murmured. "But mostly proud. It could've been much worse.." Levi reminded himself. He was just ashamed he had to be saved by his own neko. Pregnant neko, might he add. He should be able to do better. 

"Good...All I want is for you to be proud of me," Eren said quietly. 

"I'll always be proud, no matter what you do..." Levi assured the kitten. "Let's have Dr. Rusele come give you a check up, yeah?" He suggested, ruffling Eren's hair gently. 

After waking poor Dr. Rusele up again and Eren got another thorough check up, he was told he was going to be just fine. Eren did admit that he was a bit stiff and sore and that he had a splitting headache, but other than that he felt alright and he knew he'd definitely felt worse than this before. All Dr. Rusele could recommend was for him to get rest, which Levi would definitely make sure of. But it wasn't like Eren had anywhere he could go right now, anyway. His only job was to lie in bed and relax for now. 

Levi slept on the infirmary cot with the kitten, but didn't get too much sleep. It took forever for Eren to finally be able to fall asleep because of his headache and even once Levi had made sure Eren was dreaming nicely, he just couldn't sleep himself. He was paranoid, but how could he not be? He was sure Erwin was having the same problem. The people they thought they could trust may not be trustworthy at all. Who could they trust now? Especially with watching Eren and Armin now and Zackley was still out there, he couldn't be arrested even if they did prove that he was in charge of the operation. That man could pretty much do whatever he wanted, so to speak. 

Levi stayed up, watching Eren and watching the space around him, nearly jumping every time he heard a nurse walk by the curtain. He was...dare he say it...afraid. He was exhausted and he was already pretty beat up and so was Eren. How could he be expected to protect Eren properly in a state like this if he couldn't even protect the kitten when they were both perfectly well? But they'd caught Levi off guard last time. That was something Levi wasn't willing to let happen again. 

So if that meant losing sleep, then so be it. 

The next morning, Erwin returned like he'd promised. Eren was still asleep, so they spoke outside the infirmary. He assured Levi that both attackers had somehow lived through Levi's violent beatings - though one had lost an eye and the other would forever walk with a limp due to his ankle. Levi smirked at that - he knew Eren would get a kick out of it. He really was proud of his kitten beneath his fear. 

"And what about Ilse?" Levi asked tiredly, leaning against the wall. 

"She was questioned last night and we didn't have any luck...she was completely hysterical. We'll try again this afternoon and we'll question the two men once the swelling in their faces goes down enough for them to talk.." Erwin murmured. "You really gave it to them, Levi."

"Of course I did. You would've done the same," Levi growled defensively. 

"Of course I would have. I'd have beat the hell out of them," Erwin said firmly. "I wasn't scolding you, why are you so defensive?" 

Levi sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm sorry, I just..didn't sleep, alright?" 

"Neither did I..." Erwin leaned against the wall next to the raven captain as he let out a drawn out sigh. "I've had about three cups of coffee and had to comfort Armin, I think he's burst into tears about four times just this morning..He's always been emotional, but never like this."

"It's probably the whole pregnancy thing...Eren has it too," Levi mumbled. "I'm fairly sure he'll have a breakdown once he finds out we have to change rooms...they're very..territorial." 

"Ah, yes, that is one of the things that set Armin off.." Erwin sighed. "All your things have been moved in already...and we did get you a new nightstand, by the way.." Erwin mumbled. "It seems your other one was unsalvageable." 

"Shame..what a waste of good wood," Levi murmured with a huff. "I need some god damn coffee." 

"I thought you were more of a tea kind of guy," Erwin replied, looking over at Levi. 

"And I thought you weren't a blonde idiot. Never mind, I've always thought you were a goddamn idiot," Levi growled in annoyance and Erwin couldn't help but give a hearty chuckle at Levi's grumpiness. 

"I suppose that means I should go fetch some coffee for you, hm?" Erwin suggested and Levi only glared at him. "You go back in there with Eren and I'll send someone over with coffee, I do have to get back to Armin. He's quite worried about Eren." 

"He can see him later, tell him that. And tell him Eren's doing better than expected..just a headache and a sore back.." Levi murmured, a bit grateful that Erwin was doing so much for him. But he wouldn't admit it, even if he was held at gunpoint. He turned around, heading back into the infirmary as Erwin shook his head from side to side, trying not to chuckle again. At least Levi didn't lose his personality when he was upset. 

Levi was surprised to see Eren sitting up when he entered the infirmary again. "You should still be laying down," Levi reminded him as he walked in and the still slightly sleepy kitten looked up at him. 

"Huh? I feel fine.." Eren murmured. "Fine enough to sit up, anyway...A nurse said she'd bring me breakfast. I can't eat lying down, now can I..?" Eren asked. 

"Alright, smartass..Don't expect me to fluff your pillow for you..." Levi murmured as he approached the bed, leaning over to kiss Eren's forehead. "I still think you should be lying down. We'll just feed you through a straw." 

"That's disgusting," Eren chuckled. "And if I asked you to fluff my pillow for me, I know you'd do it.." 

"Yeah, well..I'm just too nice," Levi murmured, trying to fix Eren's messy bedhead. "It's my only downfall." 

"Yeah right." Eren flashed a toothy grin at Levi despite the fact he was still feeling a bit poor. "Tell that to anyone else, I dare you.."

"It wouldn't be true for anyone else," Levi murmured. "I'm glad you're feeling well enough to sit up, at least.."

"My head doesn't nearly hurt as bad and my muscles are just...sore...like I exercised for three days straight kind of sore," Eren sighed, staring at Levi with admiration in his eyes. "Where'd you go?"

"To speak with Erwin. He stopped by and I didn't want to wake you..." Levi explained. "He came to tell me that the men from yesterday are alive and still locked up, we'll find out what their deal is soon...They're pretty roughed up. And Ilse is in custody too."

"Oh. I...I remember you...mentioning that.." Eren said quietly. "Why..?"

"We think she was part of the plan...One of the men was found carrying her journal and it was full of notes on all of us..of our weaknesses and strengths.." Levi explained to the kitten, rubbing his arm gently. 

"Wh-what? I.." Eren shook his head. He always wondered what she was writing in it but he never assumed it was something like that. "I just thought..that it was a..a diary, that she was just writing her thoughts down or something.." He whispered in disbelief. 

"I thought so too," Levi admitted. "She was paid to betray us, Eren.."

"By who?" Eren asked shakily. "Who would do this to us?" 

"That's what we're still trying to figure out..." Levi sighed. He didn't want to tell Eren that it was Zackley just yet. They needed more proof and he didn't need Eren knowing too much about this, it would only cause him further stress. Levi's thoughts stopped when he heard someone come through he curtain and he looked up, a nurse carrying a tray standing before him and he felt uneasy in her presence. 

"Here you go.." She said, setting the tray of eggs and a piece of toast with jam in front of Eren, as well as handing a coffee to Levi. He murmured an inaudible thank you to her as he took the coffee, looking over Eren's food. It wasn't half bad looking and usually only captains were given jam with their toast. But he supposed Eren did get the same treatment as him now because everyone knew Levi would be furious if he didn't. 

It was strange how disliked and discriminated against Eren was when he first came here. But now, everyone had accepted Eren as a part of the Scouts. Everyone except Zackley, that is.

But Levi would either change his mind or leave Zackley without a brain to think with. 

It was Zackley's choice which action Levi would have to resort to. 


	31. The I Hate You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhh...hmm...Guess who's back..back again... 
> 
> Addi's back...tell a friend? Or don't, that's fine, too...
> 
> I'm so sorry, my god, I've been gone so much longer than I realized...idk what's wrong with me. Rough year, I suppose...But I started watching Yuri on Ice and now I remembered how much I miss my gaybies...
> 
> Also, I changed my username back to Addinavi. My tumblr is Addinavi once again as well. Sorry for being gone for 6 months, holy crap.. ugh I hope people are still reading this! It's been so long, some of you might've grown too old and weak to read by now. 
> 
> I'll try to update more, but you guys know I'm not so good at that....Also, this isn't even a long chapter. I'm sorry about that, too! 
> 
> Would you guys rather see a 'Yuri on Ice' Victuri fic from me or a Riren cop AU I've been working on? Let me know!
> 
> Love you guys <3

 

 

Levi watched the kitten sat up in bed, putting together a puzzle with Armin that the two seemed enthralled over. Or, more like Eren seemed enthralled and Armin was just busy correcting Eren's mistakes with putting the pieces together. Eren didn't really seem to notice that he wasn't doing a good job with the puzzle, but Armin seemed more than happy to fix Eren's mistakes discretely.

It'd been a couple days and though Levi's worry had faded immensely, some of it still remained. Eren was well now, his headaches from the concussion gone and his bruises now a bownish-yellow color rather than the deep purple they were days previous. It eased some of Levi's worry, especially as he saw Eren playing and interacting like nothing was ever wrong in the first place. Maybe Eren was just strong, or maybe he wasn't as injured as Levi thought he was. Or maybe Eren was just hiding his pain, Levi really wasn't sure.

There weren't any signs that Eren was having or would have a miscarriage and Dr. Rusele assured them that if it didn't happen within the first couple days, then it probably wouldn't happen at all. That too, eased some of Levi's worry. But of course Levi was one to over think things and he'd probably be stuck worrying for weeks, if not until the end of the pregnancy.

On top of it all, he was nervous to bring Eren to their new living space. It was nice, maybe even nicer than their old room and though it was similar, it just wasn't the same. Eren, like other nekos, craved a sense of familiarity. It made Levi feel guilty, thinking about all the times he'd disrupted the familiarity and Eren had to adjust again and again but he knew Eren would be strong enough to do it, even if it took them a little bit of time.

Throughout the past couple days, Levi and Erwin had been taking shifts. One would spend a couple hours working and trying to figure out what the

was going on and where Zackley was while the other would stay with Eren and Armin. Then, they would switch.

Hanji debated on bringing Mikasa down to spend time with Eren and Armin but she decided not to worry the raven haired neko and besides, Zackley wasn't even aware of Mikasa's presence in the base. There was no need for him to make it easier for him to find out.

Dr. Rusele had informed Levi that it was safe to take Eren out of the infirmary the day before, but Levi decided to wait an extra day just for good measure. It was better to be safe than sorry, he supposed because he knew he'd never forgive himself if he took Eren away from the doctors too early. Eren, of course, didn't know this because Levi knew the kitten would be furious since he'd been wanting to get out of the infirmary he seemed to hate so much.

Erwin walked in then, settling on standing beside Levi with his arms crossed over his chest. "How long have they been working on that puzzle?" he asked Levi.

"A while," the raven haired man replied with a hum. Armin looked up at his mate when he heard the man enter, smiling at him.

"Are you ready to go, Armin? Eren and Levi have to pack up and head back to their room," Erwin explained and Armin nodded.

"Sure. We'll finish later, Eren," the blonde kitten hummed, rubbing his cheek against Eren's affectionately before Erwin helped his pregnant kitten off the bed.

"Alright," Eren agreed, watching as Armin took Erwin's hand, waddling rather than walking out of the room due to his size. Eren sighed, putting the top over the puzzle carefully to avoid breaking it as he set it aside, looking up at Levi.

"What?" Levi asked when Eren looked up at him, sitting down on the edge of the bed to run a hand through Eren's hair.

"Nothing, can't I just look at you?" Eren asked with a hum, tilting his head.

"I suppose...If you wanted to," Levi replied. "I don't see why you want to." He brushed Eren's hair away from his face. "You need a bath.."

"Well, I'll take one when we go back to our room. You can join me," Eren suggested, taking Levi's hand and nuzzling his cheek into it.

"About that," Levi sighed. "We're not going back to our room." He shifted closer to Eren pulling him against his side to hold him close. "Our room might be... a bit of a mess now so we'll be staying somewhere else."

"Oh...For how long?" Eren asked, looking up at Levi with innocent eyes that seemed to burn into his skin.

"Permanently," Levi sighed. "Our room isn't safe anymore and Erwin set us up a new room..It's much nicer than the old one and much safer," Levi assured his kitten, rubbing his side gently. "It'll be just like the old one, I promise. Just nicer."

Eren frowned, shifting. "Why isn't our room safe anymore? Didn't they catch the bad guys?" Eren asked quietly.

"They did, but there...might be more," Levi tried to explain in a way that didn't sound scary.

there were more. There was no "might be." But he couldn't tell Eren that, despite the fact he was sure Eren already knew. "It'll be safer to have a new room that's more secluded. Wouldn't you like to be safer?" Levi asked and Eren only gave a slight shrug in return, not meeting his eyes. Levi's sigh was deep and it was an effort to keep it from sounding pained. He was humanity's strongest. He'd witnessed deaths and destruction beyond belief but he couldn't even keep himself from being upset when it came to Eren, even something as small as this. They'd been through worse. This was only a room change, it would be easy to get through once Eren adjusted, wouldn't it?

"Sometimes we have to do things we don't like and I know you liked our old room...I did too, Eren, I've been there for years.." Levi assured the kitten. "It's the only real home I've known. And I know it's the only home you've known.." Levi rubbed his back. He and Eren were coming from such similar places, though Levi remembered his life before becoming a soldier a lot more vividly than Eren probably remembered his past. He was too young to remember and in a way, Levi thought that was best. He was almost green because of it. "But we have each other, alright? A room is just a room.." Levi assured him.

"It's not just a room.." Eren whimpered and Levi sighed again, eyes lowering as he realized Eren wasn't going to look up at him quite yet.

"I know...but all the things that are important about that room can go wherever we go. Not material things.." Levi assured his kitten, gently scratching behind one of Eren's ears. "You know that, Eren. We're not going to live here forever anyway, right? I'm going to get you a house some day for us to live in...After all, it'll be too crowded to just share one room with our kids, hm?" Levi reminded. "It'd just be too crowded and you'd never get any peace and quiet."

"I don't want peace and quiet.." Eren whined, shaking his head. "I want to go home."

"You'll most definitely want peace and quiet when you're my age, Eren," Levi whispered, leaning down to try and meet the kitten's eyes with a concerned gaze. It made him wonder if Eren was ready to have children. Eren was just a child himself. "Come on, chin up. At least try to be positive."

Eren lifted his head up reluctantly, still not meeting eyes with Levi. "Now, are you ready to go?" Levi asked. "I know you don't want to be here any longer.."

"I..no, I don't want to be here, I suppose," Eren whispered, still reluctant to say yes to going to a new room, but he figured he didn't have a choice now.

"It's not so bad, Bear...don't act like it's the end of the world. You'll see.." Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair as he stood, collecting their items, which were mostly just Eren's toys and things to keep him comfortable, packing them into a bag before he held out his arm to offer to pick Eren up, looking at the kitten with a hidden curiosity in his eyes. He fully expected Eren to reject his offer, so he was surprised when the kitten got out from under the blankets, crawling over and into Levi's arms for the man to lift him.

Levi pulled Eren up into his free arm without any strain whatsoever, not questioning Eren's decision to be carried since he figured he should just enjoy Eren's calmness while it lasted. He confirmed for the last time with the doctors that Eren was just fine despite asking them about five times every day before now. He couldn't help but be too overprotective and paranoid and he figured it wouldn't hurt to ask again.

He exited the infirmary and Eren rested his head on his shoulder, making Levi sigh contentedly at the fact that meant Eren couldn't be too angry with him. He'd just have to try and keep the kitten as happy as possible for now, that was all. It would be easy enough. He hoped...

"Alright.." Levi finally murmured once they'd reached the door of their new room, the first word he'd spoken in a while since the walk there was mostly silent. "Here it is. I hope you can become fond of it quickly..." the raven haired captain murmured, true hope in his voice. He didn't want Eren to be unhappy, especially not while pregnant. He unlocked and opened up the door, stepping inside with Eren still tightly wrapped in his free arm. Levi looked around - the room wasn't bad. It was just as nice as their old room, maybe a little bigger and the furniture was newer as well. Levi had the option of getting new furniture quite a long time ago, but he didn't feel too fond of idiots moving heavy objects in and out of his personal space. He actually didn't want anyone in his personal space....that is, until he met Eren. "How do you like it?" he asked the kitten, looking around the clean room.

Eren didn't say anything, burying his face deeper into Levi's shoulder, only peeking out slightly to give a look around. His hands were bunched into Levi's shirt and his body was rigid, tail stiff and down between his legs.

"Oi, Bear...come on, it's nicer than our old room. Bigger, too. Look, it's got a bigger kitchen," he tried to coax the kitten into being a bit more positive. "We could cook more together, hm? And we have room for a roomy crib over there," he pointed next to the bed. "We would've needed to get a bigger room like this with the babies on the way anyhow."

"I...guess.." Eren finally spoke, voice muffled by his lips against Levi's shirt. "But I still think our old room was better.." he said stubbornly.

"I know you do," Levi sighed. "I liked it too, Eren. I've been in that room since I became a captain...And it's where you grew up, don't you think that's important to me? It is, but keeping you safe is even more important. I'm not willing to risk your life or the life of our future child or even children," he told the neko avidly, looking at him with his piercingly serious gray eyes.

The omega kitten looked down, giving a slight nod. "I...I know...I just...it's hard," he nearly whined.

"I know. But so was raising you and I got through that," Levi teased his kitten.

"You're so funny," Eren said sarcastically, punching his partner's arm playfully, but a slight twitch of his lips indicated a smirk itching at his features. That was just what Levi wanted. Levi set the kitten on their new, freshly made bed and brushed his hair back away from his face.

"And look at it this way...At least it's not the infirmary. I'm fairly sure you spent almost as much time in the infirmary as you did the time you spent in our old room.." Levi pointed out. "Hopefully this room won't have so many scares...Worrying about you has made me old," Levi huffed to the kitten.

"You were already old before you took me in," Eren pointed out and Levi playfully smacked the back of Eren's head, but not hard enough to even sting. Even while being playful, Levi still worried about hurting Eren.

"Watch it," he huffed, leaning down to kiss the top of Eren's head. "Or I might just throw you out on the streets."

"You'd never," Eren hummed, looking up at Levi, a sparkle in his eyes as he looked at the man. "I know it."

"You just keep thinking that..." Levi said stoically, wrapping an arm around the neko. Of course, he'd never throw Eren out. He didn't understand how anyone could have the heart to...especially Zackley. What was wrong with that bastard? Eren was just a neko. He was defenseless on his own... He was no harm to anyone at the base. Levi just couldn't understand how someone could have so much hate for something so innocent.

"You'd never throw me out, especially not while I'm pregnant. You're cruel, but not that cruel," Eren pointed out, his small arms stretching to try and fit completely around Levi.

"Who says I'm cruel?" Levi huffed, looking down at Eren. Probably all the recruits...and the captains...probably even Erwin himself. "But I suppose you're right. I...love you, and any kitten inside of you..." The raven haired man spoke seriously. "I never thought I could love something so much. I never thought I wanted to be a father, but...here I am...I suppose...tch, brat, you've made me all sentimental..." Levi scolded his neko, rubbing his back. "Only you can make me say such sappy things."

"Good. Because that means I'll be the only one to hear them." Eren smiled up at him, his face bright and his eyes sparkling. Levi knew then that Eren would be okay...they'd all be okay. Despite the struggles they were facing, Eren still somehow remained positive. Levi definitely wouldn't blame the kitten for being sad and scared, or even furious with him. Eren had every right to be angry, especially considering Levi did a shit job protecting him. Levi would always remember the times he failed and he figured it would make him better, help him to prevent Eren from getting hurt but he only seemed to be getting worse. At times, he felt like he couldn't do anything for Eren. He felt like the kitten and their baby or babies deserved better.

Levi didn’t know how to make things better, exactly...But he’d damn well try his best. “Erwin is helping to make arrangements for the kittens that were being cared for by Ilse...You..were friends with some of them, weren’t you?” Levi asked the kitten, hoping it would be comforting to know his friends were safe.

“Mh…” Eren gave a nod. “But...where will they go?” He questioned, ears twitching as he looked up at Levi with wide eyes.

“We’re still trying to figure that out, Bear…” Levi explained, stroking Eren’s hair gently. “But they’ll go to good homes, I promise.”

“B-but we can’t split them up!” Eren nearly shouted and Levi closed his eyes, rubbing at his brow. Shit, now he was just getting Eren all riled up…

“Bear-”

“No, you have to make sure they can all stay together! They’re all really close to each other!”

“Eren, who’s going to adopt four-” Levi had to count on his fingers. “Five nekos. Tell me, who?”

“You!” Eren cried, gripping at Levi’s shirt desperately, tears in his eyes and Levi looked down at him in shock before his expression changed to a more stern one.

“No, Bear. You know that I can’t, **we** can’t,” Levi huffed, shaking his head and gently prying Eren’s hands away from his clothing.

“But Levy-”

“Eren! I said no! I’m sorry, Eren, but I’ve already said my answer. We have kittens on the way and you want five other nekos to live with us? One of whom is even a danger to you, in my opinion,” Levi huffed at the stubborn neko. “We’re going to find a place for them. It may not be exactly what you want, but I’m doing what’s best for you..” Levi assured the kitten with a sigh before he was running his hand through his jet black hair in frustration. Out of every neko in the world, Levi had to get stuck with the most stubborn… What luck he had. Of course, he wouldn’t trade Eren for the world, but still..It would help if he would just understand that Levi was doing what it took to give them the best life they could manage in these circumstances.

Eren looked hurt and maybe even angry, Levi couldn’t quite tell from the way Eren’s face twisted up. He wasn’t sure if the kitten was going to scream or cry, maybe even try to hit him...But Eren didn’t do anything, silent until he mustered up the courage to say his words.

“I...I hate you,” Eren hissed, voice breaking off as he climbed down from the bed, running over to the door and barely, just barely reaching the doorknob enough to pry the door open and run straight out.

 


	32. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have updated. Tis' a Thanksgiving miracle!
> 
> I just bought the iPad pro, so maybe soon I will be doing some art...No promises, though. Let me know if there's anything you want to see me draw!
> 
> P.S. I will be uploading shorter chapters so that I can try to update more often to keep you guys from waiting so long again :( sorry!

 Levi knew Eren was...moody. He knew he shouldn't take what the kitten said to heart, but...he had to admit, it hurt to hear. He knew that he was hated by many captains and recruits, but to hear that his own kitten hated him was much different. It stung even though he knew Eren didn't mean it. He was hormonal from pregnancy and upset from all of the sudden, recent changes. Levi expected an emotional explosion out of him sooner or later, but he only wished the anger wasn't directed at him. It only made him feel guiltier about everything Eren had gone through.

 He let the kitten go, knowing that if he followed him, things would just get worse. Eren was stubborn and he didn’t like it when Levi fussed over him too much, Levi had learned that the hard way...more than once.

 Levi decided to take this time to unpack Eren’s things and attempt to make it so that maybe Eren would feel a little more comfortable when he decided to come back. The raven just needed _something_  to take his mind off what Eren had said to him.

 It was hard, even for a man like Levi, to forget things so easily. Eren was stubborn and often careless with his words, but Levi had to remind himself constantly that Eren was young. And yet, that always somehow made him feel guiltier. Eren wasn’t ready to deal with these responsibilities yet, at least not emotionally.

 He tucked Eren’s clothes away into one of the drawers that already contained his neatly folded dresses, skirts, tops, and other items. It reminded Levi that soon enough, Eren wouldn’t be able to fit into those items. He’d have to find some suitable maternity wear, which may be hard since Eren was quite picky, after all. He’d have to ask Erwin where he’d been finding things for Armin to wear.

 He’d also have to figure out what the hell he was going to do with those kittens Eren was going on about. He’d have to find a place for them somewhere, but if they wanted to find love with a human like Eren had, they obviously couldn’t all stay together. Levi wasn’t exactly sure what those kittens wanted. Really, he’d never sat down and talked with any of them besides scolding Jean for being so rude to Eren.

 There was no way Levi would be able to make everyone happy and that included Eren. No one would get exactly what they wanted, but he wanted to try his best or else Eren would never forgive him. These kittens were his friends...They were important to him. Levi could never really understand the closeness Eren felt with friends, as he had never felt it himself. Sure, he had always cared about his squad members and of course Hanji and Erwin, but he wasn’t as open and loving as Eren. Having his friends be upset or hurt would be devastating to the poor omegan kitten and Levi wanted to prevent that as much as he could.

 Maybe he could find soldiers in the base to take them...trusted soldiers, of course, not just soldiers that were looking for sex. Maybe some would be willing to take one or two in as companions, not as significant others, like Hanji had for Mikasa. Then, maybe he could find others that would be willing to be caring significant others. He just knew he couldn’t let them fall into the wrong hands.

 Eren stormed down the halls, many soldiers looking after him in confusion since the kitten was almost never alone, but they didn’t dare question the glaring kitten.

 Eren wasn’t sure whether he should be angry or upset, so he decided a mixture of both would be alright. A harsh glare and a quivering bottom lip seemed to show his emotions quite well. The kitten didn’t know where he was going, but he just knew he wanted to be as far away from Levi as possible and he most definitely didn’t want to be around other soldiers who may look at him or try to speak to him.

 “Eren?” He heard a familiar voice behind him and he didn’t look back, even when the four eyed scientist caught up with him and put a hand on his shoulder.

 “Don’t!” Eren whined, shaking her off as he continued walking, quickening his pace.

 “Eren,” Hanji repeated. “What’s going on? Why are you alone?” She asked.

 “Because!” Eren shouted, whipping around to look at Hanji with red and watery eyes. “Because Levi is an asshole, that’s why!” He shouted.

 “Okay..” Hanji said quietly, holding onto Eren’s arm and kneeling down to look at him. “I can’t argue with that. He can be a bit of an asshole sometimes,” she said softly, offering Eren a half smile. “But you’re going to need to tell me more than that. I can’t let you wander around here by yourself, especially not while you’re pregnant and upset..” she said.

 “You’re not the boss of me. I’m not a kid,” Eren huffed, half-assedly trying to pull his arm away to no avail.

 “I’m not trying to be the boss of you, Eren. I’m trying to be a good friend to you and Levi. He’d be an asshole to me, too, if he found out I just let you go off by yourself and didn’t do anything to help you feel better,” Hanji said. “He’d be an asshole to me, too,” she pointed out. “Do you want that?”

 Eren didn’t say anything, shrugging before giving a slight shake of his head.

 “Alright...good. Just come into my office and tell me what’s the matter, then if you want to leave, you can. At least that way, no matter what, I can say I tried…” Hanji hummed softly, standing up again and taking Eren’s hand to lead him down the hall and into her office, which just so happened to be a complete mess.

 Eren sighed as he carefully stepped over papers and books strewn across the floor, frowning as he climbed into a chair, sitting across from Hanji’s desk. “What were you doing in here?” Eren mumbled as he looked around the room.

 “Oh? Just Uhm- some planning,” Hanji replied. “Don’t pay attention to that stuff, it’s not important. After all, you know me..” Hanji chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck as she sat down at her desk. “So, uhm- tell me what’s up? Where did everything start?”

 “Back in our room,” Eren mumbled. “Well, our...new room. I hate it,” the omega  kitten whispered, shaking his head. “And I even tried to be nice about it…”

 “You did?” Hanji asked in surprise. “Well...what do you mean by you ‘tried’ to be nice about it?” She asked.

 “I mean that I didn’t throw a fit or anything when we went to our new room,” Eren mumbled. “I didn’t you know...yell or anything...I was a little upset but...he understood,” Eren sighed. “He’s understanding…” he cut off, shaking his head. “Sometimes. Only sometimes. Most of the time he’s definitely not, especially not right now..” Eren grumbled, snaking his head.

 “Really? Why’s that? He sounds pretty understanding to me,” Hanji said. “At least when it comes to you, he is.”

 Eren huffed, rolling his eyes before wiping away any tears that threatened to spill over. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. He doesn’t even care about...about my...friends,” he sighed.

 “You mean Armin? And Mikasa?” Hanji asked, cocking her head.

 “No..” Eren shook his head. “Everyone from...the orphanage. All the nekos. They have no place to go and Levi won’t take them in!” He shouted, leaning forward in the chair and gripping at the arm rests.

 “Hey, hey. Calm down,” Hanji scolded him. “Relax, let’s just talk about it,” she said, rubbing her chin. “So you’re...angry because Levi won’t agree to house a bunch of strange nekos?”

 “They’re not strange. They’re my friends,” Eren argued, frowning deeply at Hanji, his brows furrowed.

 “Well, to Levi they’re strange. I don’t know if you realize this, but Levi is a very private person,” Hanji explained.

 “I know that, but…” Eren wasn’t sure exactly how to finish the sentence as he looked down at his lap.

 “It was hard for him to even adjust to having you around. The only reason he was able to is because he loves you so much. But it’s not easy for him to do that when it comes to other people or other kittens, you know. He barely even lets me in his quarters,” she chuckled, straightening her glasses.

 “But it’s not fair, Hanji. He wants to give them all away to strangers. What if they’re mean strangers? Or what if I never get to see them again?” Eren asked, frowning.

 “Eren,” Hanji sighed sympathetically. “Levi would never just let them go to any strangers. I’m sure whoever gets them will have had extensive background checks on them. Besides, we all decided that we’re going to try our best to get them adopted by soldiers or captains on the base. That way, we can always make sure that they’re okay and you, Armin, and Mikasa can see them when you please,” Hanji pointed out.

 Eren played with the end of his tail, avoiding looking up into Hanji’s eyes. “That’s not good enough..”

 “Well, I’m sorry, Eren. That’s all we can do,” Hanji said softly, frowning at the kitten’s response.

 “It’s not...there has to be more,” Eren said stubbornly, shaking his head. He couldn’t just take that as an answer; it wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t good enough for his friends.

 “There isn’t, Eren. You have to understand, nekos are very territorial. They won’t be happy all living in one place once they’re all fully matured and want to have kittens like you and Armin. They’ll want their very own place with their own….mate...sort of..to take care of them. Like how you and Levi are,” Hanji explained to the best of her ability.

 “They’ll want that?” Eren asked, looking up from his tail, and Hanji offered him a nod. “Are you sure?”

 “If you don’t believe me, you can go talk to them. There’s been a little camp set up for them in the mess hall,” Hanji offered and Eren gave a slight shrug at the idea. Maybe it would be good to talk to them...to see how they were all feeling before he tried to make any decisions for them.

 “And if I’m right and they don’t want to be split up?” Eren asked, cocking his head.

 “Then...we’ll figure something out,” Hanji sighed. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you or any of them, I can promise you that right now, alright? We’ll do what’s best for everybody.

 “And you won’t break that promise? No matter what?” Eren asked skeptically, narrowing his eyes.

 “I promise that I won’t break that promise, Eren. Now please, don’t be so upset with Levi. He didn’t mean to make you mad, alright? He’s probably just tired,” Hanji pointed out.

 “Maybe. I don’t know..I have to think about whether or not I’m still mad. So far, I am..” Eren mumbled stubbornly.

 “I guess I can’t control that,” Hanji hummed, resting her chin on her hands. “But don’t stress about it too much, Eren. It’s bad for you, you know that...go for a nice, relaxing walk. Not an angry and upset walk. Can you at least promise me that before I let you go?” Hanji asked.

 Eren huffed in annoyance, nodding as he slid down from the chair he had been sitting in. “Fine..I’ll do that,” he sighed, and Hanji smiled.

 “Good. I’m glad I could get through to you,” she said, seemingly happy that the stubborn kitten listened to her somewhat. She got up as well, leading Eren to the door and opening it for him. “Remember what I said. Go talk to your friends,” Hanji reminded as the kitten made his way out of the office. He didn’t bother to thank her or anything, but he did give her a glance over his shoulder that seemed somewhat grateful. That was good enough for Hanji, at least.

 Once he left Hanji’s office, Eren didn’t immediately go to the dining hall to see all of the rescued nekos. He didn’t want them to know he had been so upset, especially not Jean. Jean would only make fun of him.

 He walked around downstairs for a bit, but eventually grew tired of people staring at him. Not to mention the fact he was tired as well. He found a small sitting area that was in a corner, possibly outside a captain’s office so that there would be seating for officials who came to visit or squad members who needed to speak with their captain. Eren wasn’t exactly sure; he had never been in this area before. It was no where near Levi’s office. He was glad that there was no one around so that he could curl up and close his eyes to rest up for a bit before facing the other kittens.

 Levi, on the other hand, couldn’t rest at all. He paced for a bit, then attempted to read. It only resulted in more pacing. He knew that he needed to give Eren space, but he couldn’t exactly stay calm when he knew there were certain people out there who wanted to hurt Eren. Eren was pregnant, clumsy, had already suffered a miscarriage, and was wanted dead by one of the most powerful men within the walls. Levi was sure it was entirely impossible for him to not worry.

 But just because Levi was worried, that didn’t mean he wasn’t still annoyed and hurt by what Eren said to him. He knew that Eren was hormonal and upset, but that didn’t give him a right to say nasty things to Levi when Levi was only trying to do what was in Eren’s best interest.

 The raven haired man wondered how exactly Eren thought they would be able to take in so many nekos, especially when they had a baby or even babies on the way. They barely had enough space for themselves, in Levi’s opinion. It would be impossible for everyone to have enough space if there were more than a few people in this room. Even now, Levi wanted to provide a house for Eren and their kittens so that they could have their own rooms. For now, this would do. But Levi couldn’t help but wonder how they would feel when their kittens got older, assuming they were going to have more than one. Their kittens would grow up fast and if Eren liked being a mother, Levi would give him more. There was no question about it in Levi’s mind.

 He thought he already had enough to worry about with the war outside the walls that was already happening and then with the loss of Eren’s first pregnancy, but no. Their problems simply had to double, didn’t they? If this continues, would Eren lose the pregnancy again? Would he pass away during labor? Would he be murdered by Zackley’s goons? Levi knew he could lose everything in less than a second, and there were multiple ways for that to happen. There shouldn’t even be one way, for that matter…

 Levi stopped his pacing, afraid he’d wear out their new floors before they had even settled in. He needed to speak to Erwin about this **immediately**.

 Levi was about to storm out of the room before remembering Eren may come back before him, so he quickly scrawled out a note and pinned it to the door before leaving, not bothering to take anything with him. He hoped this would be a quick trip.

 Erwin’s room was closer now that their rooms had been moved, which Levi found may be a comfort to everyone. Eren and Armin would be close to each other when needed and if anything else happened, they’d have backup right away.

 Levi knocked on Erwin’s door much more harshly than he actually intended, but it was too late now to take it back. He hoped he didn’t startle them, but he wasn’t even sure if they were inside. The short-statured man waited with his arms crossed until he heard a lock click, then Erwin opened the door up just enough to see that it was Levi.

 “What’s the matter?” Erwin mumbled, sighing in relief when he realized it was only Levi, opening the door up the rest of the way.

 “What, I’m not disturbing you, am I?” Levi snapped, running a hand through his hair. Erwin only sighed again, stepping back.

 “Fine, come in,” the blonde said, but Levi probably would have come right in anyway even if Erwin hadn’t given him permission. Armin was sitting on the couch, a book clutched in his hands, the kitten looking quite nervous.

 “I- is Eren alright?” Armin asked in concern, blinking.

 “He’s fine. This isn’t about that..I only need to speak to Erwin alone for a moment, if you don’t mind excusing us,” Levi stated. Armin didn’t hesitate to quickly get up, sliding off the couch and taking his book with him as he nearly darted towards the bedroom.

 “Armin, you don’t have to-” Erwin tried, but Armin cut him off.

 “I- I don’t mind!” Armin promised, slipping into the bedroom and closing the door behind him.

 "What was that about?” Erwin asked, turning to Levi. “You’re making him nervous. He’s already got enough going on trying to adjust to the new room and-”

 “You don’t think I already know that? I’m having the same issue with Eren. I’m not here to talk about that,” Levi said, again, much more harshly than he had intended. “I need to speak to you about Zackley. We need to decide what we’re going to do right now.”

 Erwin looked as though he was about to get quite angry with Levi before he heard the other man’s last sentence. His expression stayed stern, still a bit annoyed as he sat down in his favorite chair. He furrowed his brows, rubbing his chin. “Now?” He asked.

 “Yes, now,” Levi huffed frustratedly, now beginning to pace back and forth across Erwin’s room, the blonde’s eyes following him. He couldn’t be as relaxed as Erwin and simply have a seat. There was no time. “I can’t wait any longer, Smith.”

 “Levi,” Erwin warned. “It’s only been a couple of days. I understand your impatience, but you have to understand that-”

 “Understand what? There isn’t anything to understand, Erwin. Eren is in danger. So is Armin, for that matter. You’re okay with that? With him and your unborn kitten being in danger?” Levi asked.

 “Of course I’m not,” Erwin growled, seemingly offended by the question. “But if you would let me finish my sentence before interrupting, I would tell you what we’re going to do,” Erwin stated, looking up at Levi as though waiting for the impatient man to snap again. When Levi forced himself to stay silent, Erwin continued. “You have to understand that there is no easy way to kill this man.”

 “Kill?” Levi asked, furrowing his brows.

 “We’re going to have to kill him,” Erwin confirmed, nodding. “There isn’t any other way.”


	33. The Worries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another update so soon??? Hopefully I can keep this up for you guys!

Eren carefully and slowly made his way into the dining hall, immediately spotting the makeshift camp in the far left corner of the room where they could be away from everyone and be a bit less overwhelmed during meal times. There were a few tents set up for privacy and some pillows and blankets, even a few toys. Eren was sure this was Hanji’s doing and he had to admit, she did a great job. Eren knew there was no way for them all to be exactly the most comfortable, but she seemed to create the best little indoor campsite as best as she could.

“Eren?” Marco asked, being the first to spot the kitten once Eren had gotten close enough. Everyone seemed a bit down, no one really playing with the toys besides Connie, who was sitting by himself with a few blocks. Everyone else seemed to be inside the tents.

“Y-yeah-” Eren stammered, blinking. He hadn’t expected anyone to speak to him so quickly. He was expecting...Well, he wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting. He supposed he thought everyone would be angry with him. Maybe they were; he wasn’t exactly sure yet.

“Eren’s here!” Marco called loudly and Krista, followed by Ymir, then the others poked their heads out of their tents.

“Eren!” Krista shouted. “Eren, you’re here! We’re so glad you’re okay!” She exclaimed, bursting out of the tent and running to envelope Eren in a big hug.

“Oi- Krista!” Ymir scolded, quickly following the small blonde.

“We heard you got hurt - is everything alright?” Krista asked as the others started to gather around.

“I-I…” Eren stammered, blinking a few times more. He was honestly a bit shocked to be welcomed like this. “Y-yeah,” he finally answered, nodding. “Yeah, I’m- I’m fine, I was more worried about you all, really..I wasn’t sure what would happen to you..I’m so sorry..” The omega kitten murmured, rubbing the back of his neck.

“About Ilse?” Krista asked. “Don’t be sorry. She was...um..”

“An absolute freak?” Ymir asked. “A weirdo? Either of those terms would work..” The brunette said as she crossed her arms. “I can’t believe she pulled that shit...Now look at us all…”

“I always knew there was something weird about her,” Connie said, but Sasha quickly pushed him.

“You did not, Connie. You never suspected a thing!” She defended.

“Shut up,” Annie grumbled in annoyance. Eren hadn’t even noticed that she had joined them. Everyone was here and everyone seemed fine, at least. Just annoyed.   
“I’m..glad you all are okay,” Eren said quietly. “I’m sorry that you have to stay here like this for a while, but we...we’re trying to figure everything out. That was what I came here to talk to you all about,” Eren explained, biting his lip.

“What could you possibly be figuring out? This is your fault in the first place,” Jean argued, crossing his arms as he glared at Eren.

“Jean, shut up,” Sasha whined. “It’s not Eren’s fault. There are crazies out there who want to kill him...He can’t help that,” she pointed out.

Jean didn’t say anything, simply shrugging and looking away, possibly in defeat.

“Er...anyway..” Eren murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn’t feel the need to argue with Jean, which was unusual, to say the least. “I came to talk to you all about where you’ll go to live. You all want to stay together, right?” Eren asked and a few of the kittens looked to each other.

“I’ve got to stay with Krista, there’s no arguing about it!” Ymir snapped.

“And I have to stay with Jean..” Marco stated, shrugging. “But other than that, I’ll be alright just visiting everyone.”

“Yeah, me too,” Connie agreed. “I want to stay close to Sasha - but not too close! She drives me crazy,” Connie argued, and Sasha looked fuming.

“I can honestly say that I don’t care,” Annie mumbled, and Eren cocked his head. He assumed they were all closer than that...but he supposed he was wrong.

“As long as you can visit each other, you don’t mind..?” Eren asked, blinking and everyone seemed to nod.

“It’d be a little impossible finding another place that would take in all of us, Eren..” Krista laughed shyly, shrugging. “As long as Ymir and I can stay together, I really don’t mind. Maybe we’ll actually have a chance to be adopted now…” she pointed out.

“I..” Eren bit his lip. “I’m going to try my hardest to keep you all in the base..I can promise you that. That way, you’ll all be able to see each other when you want and you can see me, Armin, and Mikasa, too…” Eren promised. “And Ymir, I swear I won’t let them separate you and Krista. Same with you and Jean, Marco,” Eren said sternly.

“Thank you, Eren!” Krista laughed, wrapping Eren up in a hug. Even Jean looked...happy with that answer. Or as close to happy as he could be, Eren supposed.

“I-I’m glad I could help..” Eren said quietly. So, Hanji was half right...some of them really didn’t mind that they wouldn’t stay together. But for Ymir, Krista, Marco, and Jean, he would find people willing to take more than one neko.

He spent a bit more time with them, letting Connie and Sasha show him around their makeshift camp. They seemed to like it quite a lot, though Annie mentioned she did get annoyed with the noise during meal times. Eren really didn’t blame her.

Eren explained a bit more in depth what happened to him, but he didn’t want to talk about it too much. It would only make him more upset, but he did want everyone to know that everything was okay.

Everything was okay...and there was no longer a reason for him to be angry with Levi. He didn’t hate him...he wasn’t sure why he said that. He didn’t mean it. He could never mean something so awful about Levi.

The kitten wondered if Levi was angry with him. Probably...though, Levi rarely got angry with him anymore.

“I’m sorry, I think I’ve got to go fix something..” Eren murmured to his friends, getting up. “I’ll come back to visit later,” he promised before rushing off.

When he arrived at their room (after nearly going to their old room by accident), he was surprised to see a note on the door explaining that Levi had gone to see Erwin. He really hoped that Levi wasn’t talking to Erwin about him...or what he’d said to Levi. If that was the case, he really would have a reason to be upset with Levi..

The kitten tossed the note in the bin, debating on whether or not he should go get Levi, but he didn’t have to decide. The raven haired man walked in on his own accord, walking past Eren swiftly before stopping, having to do a double-take before realizing Eren was there.

“You came back…” Levi said simply, rubbing the back of his neck before walking into the kitchen. He didn’t want Eren to know how worried he had been.

“Y-yeah...I did...Why wouldn’t I?” Eren asked, hesitating before following Levi. “You look...angry...Is that because of me?” He asked, noticing how Levi walked past him without even caring.

Levi picked up the tea kettle, but set it down again and paused before answering. “No,” he answered, sighing. He didn’t want to worry Eren, but the kitten would figure out what was going on eventually. “Just...some things about our situation with Zackley. That’s all,” Levi said quietly.

“O-oh..” Eren said softly, nodding. “You’re...you really think it was him?” Eren asked.

“I’m almost 100% positive..” Levi said, continuing the tea he had barely begun to make just moments before.

Eren nodded, frowning. It was a bit scary to him that the military that was supposed to be protecting people was now trying to take lives. “Levi, I-“

“I already know that you didn’t mean it,” Levi sighed. “Or..at least I hope you didn’t,” the man said softly.

“Of course I didn’t!” Eren huffed, crossing his arms. “I mean- of course I didn’t..” he corrected his tone, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry- I don’t know what-“

“Hormones,” Levi interrupted him. “That’s what. But that’s no excuse,” he reminded the kitten.

“I...I know…” Eren sighed. “I know. I’m….pregnant, or whatever and I guess I got mad,” Eren explained.

“Is that your apology?” Levi asked, though he nearly chuckled. It took a lot to keep it from escaping him.

Eren could only nod in response, blushing.

“I suppose I accept it. But only if you agree that...we really can’t take in all those kittens,” Levi sighed, hoping it wouldn’t start another fight.

“I know,” Eren sighed in defeat, walking over to wrap his arms around levi’s waist.

Levi reached down, running a hand through Eren’s hair. “You do?” He asked in surprise. Maybe Eren had matured more than he thought.

“I do,” Eren confirmed softly. “But...I’ll help look for good places for them to go. As long as some of them can stay together. I promised them that, so it’s my job to help find people that are willing to take more than one,” The omegan kitten explained.

Levi blinked, even more surprised than before. “Bear…” he said softly, still stroking Eren’s hair. “I’m...I’m proud of you,” he said honestly, his voice full of affection. “So proud..”

“You are, Levy?” Eren asked, looking up at him and offering a genuine smile.

“Yeah, I am. You’ve really shown me how...how much you’ve grown up,” Levi admitted. “Now I know that...Maybe I won’t have to worry so much about you getting into fights with other kittens anymore, or running off, or nearly drowning…” Levi listed only a few of the heart attack worthy moments Eren had put him through.

“Oh...well, no. I can’t exactly promise none of those will happen again,” Eren teased, looking up at Levi and offering a grin. “But I can promise that I’ll keep our kittens from doing those things. I might not be a terrible mother after all,” he hummed softly.

“I never thought you’d be a terrible mother. Not even for one second,” Levi promised. “Maybe a little crazy, but always a good mother,” he assured the kitten, moving to lift Eren into his arms and he grunted as he did so. “You’ve gained weight,” he said observantly, unable to help the corner of his lip turning up into a slight smile.

“What? Not that much…” Eren laughed, surprised Levi had been able to notice it. It had only been a few pounds, at the most. But he supposed with Levi carrying him around so much, it was a lot more noticeable to the alpha.

“Mh...The more, the better. It means everything is healthy,” Levi pointed out. “That reminds me, once your clothes get too tight, you ought to let me know so that we can go get you some proper clothing, alright?” The man said, setting Eren down on the counter so he could finish making his tea.

“Right,” Eren agreed, nodding as he watched Levi make tea. He wanted to ask more about Zackley, but he didn’t exactly want to ruin their mood after both of them had managed to calm down. Besides, Hanji and Dr. Rusele both said stress wasn’t good during pregnancy. So, for once, Eren swallowed his curiosity so that they could have a peaceful evening settling into their new home.

After Levi got Eren some lemonade and a few biscuits to snack on, the kitten got to work trying to make their new room feel more...homey. He didn’t like how it was now, too boring and too clean, and it didn’t smell anything like Levi just yet.

While the man was trying to work on paperwork, Eren would continuously come up to him, dragging along pillows and blankets and rubbing them all over Levi. Levi, of course, didn’t complain. It didn’t matter that it was insanely distracting and his hair was all over the place because it made Eren happy and comfortable and frankly, that was all Levi cared about at the moment.

Besides, of course, Eren’s safety. That was also something that was incredibly important to the man right now. But, like Eren, he was trying to forget about those fears. At least, for tonight. He just wanted Eren to relax and he wanted some time to think things over before making any serious plans with Erwin.

Once Eren had finished up making their bed comfy and cozy, he stripped himself of his clothes and tossed them on the floor, rummaging through the dresser until he found one of Levi’s oversized shirts that he thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in, slipping it on and grabbing some warm socks to pair with it. He climbed up into bed, settling down beneath the covers and pulling them up to his chin. He waited a few minutes before looking over at Levi, noticing the man was still focused on his paperwork even though it was getting late.

“Levy?” he asked, causing the raven to look over his shoulder at him. “Are you coming to bed?”

“Hm?” Levi looked back down at his paperwork. He still had a ton of it, but he supposed none of it would matter if Zackley would be dead soon, anyway. “If you’re ready for me to,” he said, standing up and straightening his papers before walking over to see what Eren had done to their bed. He’d fluffed up all the pillows and arranged them all in a way so that they’d be propped up just a little bit more, and he had definitely added some extra blankets from the closet to their bedding. “Looks comfortable,” he praised the kitten, walking over to ruffle his hair. “Feel better now?”

Eren yawned, nodding and giving a soft, momentary purr when Levi ruffled his hair. He was obviously tired from the whole ordeal and hadn’t exactly gotten a lot of sleep in the infirmary. “Come to bed,” he whined softly, and Levi chuckled.

“Alright, alright. Give me a moment,” Levi requested, stepping away to pick up Eren’s clothes off the floor and toss them into the hamper, giving Eren a slightly scolding look at the fact that the kitten had been too lazy to do so himself. Eren only shrugged, grinning smugly. God, Levi couldn’t even imagine how messy their room would get if their kitten took after Eren. So messy, but also with an attitude.

Levi undressed as well, changing into his second favorite night shirt since his current favorite had now been stolen by Eren. He also put on a pair of pajama pants, though he often found his boxers were usually what he preferred. Their new room was a bit chilly, and Levi realized it was because he hadn’t remembered to stoke the fire in a while. He approached the dull flame and threw a couple logs on, hoping they would catch and not smother the flame since he wasn’t planning on getting up again once he was in bed.

He was just exhausted, if not more so than Eren. He’d barely gotten a wink of sleep when the kitten was in the infirmary, often waking up a few minutes later even if he did manage to fall asleep at all.

Levi crawled into bed next to Eren, immediately pulling the brunette against him. Eren didn’t hesitate to bury his face in Levi’s chest, yawning again and curling his hands into Levi’s shirt to keep the older male close.

Levi rubbed Eren’s back gently in response, glad to hear the content purr that escaped his sleepy kitten. He wanted Eren to be relaxed and comfortable, not stressed out at all by any means. He felt badly about the fact that he wasn’t exactly doing a great job keeping Eren happy, but he was trying his best. It was all he could do.

Once Zackley was gone, of course, it would take most of the weight off his shoulders. He could focus on taking care of his growing family. That is, of course, as long as he and Erwin weren’t arrested…

That night, Levi didn’t exactly sleep peacefully. He’d wake up every hour or so to check on Eren, who was still sleeping soundly. He’d slip out of bed and check the perimeters of the room and check once again that their windows were barred and their door was locked before he was able to return to his sleeping kitten.

Levi knew it was going to be a long night.

When the sun finally began to rise, Levi was already awake. He’d gotten out of bed quite a bit earlier, but didn’t hesitate to go back and check on Eren every half hour or so. He’d fix the blankets around the brunette and push his hair back away from his face before returning to his desk, where he worked on downing cups of caffeinated tea and getting through the paperwork he wasn’t even sure would matter anymore.

He tried not to think about the conversation he was going to have with Erwin later today, possibly Hanji as well. They would need her help, there was no doubting that. But he wasn’t sure who Eren and Armin could stay with, in that case. There was nobody else that he trusted enough to watch over Eren other than Erwin and Hanji now that the kitten was in such danger. Possibly Petra, Aluo, Gunther, and Eld altogether could protect Eren properly. Normally, he wouldn’t mind having just one of his squad members look after Eren, but now that the kitten’s life was on the line, he knew Eren needed all the protection available to him.

He heard a slight stirring from the bed and he turned to see Eren beginning to wake, stretching in bed, his brows furrowed and his eyes still closed as he seemingly debated on waking up. It was quite early, after all.

Levi tried his best to focus on his paperwork, not wanting to stare at Eren too much as he woke up. He didn’t want to creep Eren out too much - though he had woken up many times to Eren’s nose pressed against his, the kitten wide awake, but simply content to watch Levi. The man wondered if it was a neko habit, or simply just an Eren habit.

He only turned around again when he heard the blankets being thrown aside and the quick padding of feet, turning just in time to see the blur of Eren running, then the bathroom door slamming. “Bear?” he asked, standing up, but he could already hear the sound of Eren retching. Morning sickness…

He sighed, walking over to the door and waiting until he could no longer hear the sound of Eren dry heaving. He knocked gently, not wanting to disturb Eren’s privacy. “Bear...do you need anything?” He asked, trying his best not to sound worried.

Eren paused for a moment, coughing and wiping his mouth. “M-m’fine,” he called back in a mumble, rubbing his face. He still wasn’t quite fully awake, having been forced out of bed by his nausea nearly the second he began to come to. He didn’t exactly want Levi in the bathroom with him when he was like this, so he was glad that the man decided to keep his distance. He coughed a few more times, wiping his mouth and sitting on the floor for a few moments to catch his breath before he felt well enough to respond properly to Levi.

“I don’t need anything, don’t wo-rry,” he spoke, voice cracking at the end and he sighed inwardly at that. “I’m fine,” he confirmed again, this time firmer to keep his voice from cracking again. He cleared his throat, wiping at the sweat beading up on his forehead.

“Are you sure?” Levi asked, leaning his forehead against the door, wanting nothing more than to go in and check on Eren. “...Tea?” he finally asked.

Eren sighed, nodding before realizing Levi couldn’t exactly see that through the door. “Tea...Yes..That would help,” he replied, figuring it would give Levi something to distract him and give Eren something to look forward to once he was finished collecting himself.

“Alright...I’ll be...In the kitchen. Holler if you need me,” Levi replied, unsure of what else to say, He hesitantly left the bathroom door, heading into the kitchen to make Eren some tea with plenty of honey, the only way the kitten actually liked to drink it. Otherwise, it wasn’t sweet enough for him.

Eren took his time getting up off the cool bathroom floor, turning on the tap to wash his hands and splash some cool water on his face, grateful that Levi had already put Eren’s stool in the bathroom so that he could easily reach the sink.

Once he’d washed and dried his face overly red face, he pushed his messy hair back away from it and exited the bathroom slowly. He shuffled out and towards the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes.

Levi looked over at him, setting a cup of tea down on the counter just in time. He didn’t hesitate to crouch down to look Eren in the eyes, immediately reaching to feel the omega’s cheeks and forehead. “You’re a bit warm..” he stated, still trying to hide his concern.

“I just got a bit overheated, I’ll be fine now,” Eren assured the man, looking up at him with still slightly sleepy eyes. “I was just nauseous...I feel...decent now, but tired,” he couldn’t help but admit.

Levi let out a breath, touching Eren’s cheek for another moment before leaning in to kiss Eren’s forehead. After that, he quickly stood up. He felt somewhat responsible for Eren’s morning sickness, though he knew it was silly.

“Do you want your tea at the table, or in bed?” Levi asked the kitten, picking up the cup for him. He was willing to bring it wherever Eren wanted to drink it.

“You’d let me drink it in bed?” Eren asked in surprise. “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll spill?”

“Mh...Spills can be cleaned,” Levi replied, albeit a bit reluctantly. That was something Eren was slowly, but surely teaching him. Spills were okay and so were messes. They could always be cleaned, even if it took a bit of work. It was worth it to be able to live without the constant nagging in his head to keep everything tidy, so long as he knew it could be cleaned later.

“The bed, then,” Eren replied, managing a little smile. “I think I’d enjoy that.”

“Alright, but...don’t make it a habit,” Levi said sternly, sighing as he brought Eren’s tea to the bed, the kitten following him. He set down the tea to reach down and help Eren up into bed, though the brunette seemed stubborn about accepting the help. Levi just lifted him up into bed, anyway, causing Eren to scowl at him.

Levi tried his best not to smile, tucking the blankets around Eren and handing him his tea. “So stubborn...just let me take care of you, huh?” Levi murmured, ruffling up the kitten’s hair.

“I don’t need to be taken care of..” Eren pointed out as he blew on his tea to cool it, holding it firmly in both hands to avoid spilling.

“So? Doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you, still,” Levi sighed. “You can let people take care of you, you know. Especially when you’re pregnant. You should be enjoying it,” the man pointed out.

“Well, I don’t want to be taken care of...not until I’m..well, not until I’m too big to see my toes. If I even get that big,” Eren pointed out.

“You most definitely will. Have you seen Armin? He can’t even get up by himself and he’s still got almost a month to go. You’ll get there soon,” Levi pointed out and Eren whined, sinker deeper into the bed.

“I don’t want that..” he mumbled stubbornly.

“That’s a part of being pregnant, Eren. You’ll have to live with it for a bit,” he told the kitten as he headed back to the kitchen to make himself more tea. “But it’ll be worth it.”

“I hope so..” Eren said, taking a sip of his tea.

**Author's Note:**

> Where to find me:
> 
> Tumblr: addinavi.tumblr.com
> 
> Email: eternalys13@gmail.com
> 
> Comments and messages are welcome!


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